Hobbit Drabbles
by ShadowKat-Shidobukatsu
Summary: Movie verse. Drabbles collected up from my tumblr. Themes and characters may vary.
1. Fili & Kili GEN

Fili frowned slightly as he wandered through the village, looking in every which direction for his younger brother. It was odd for the pair to be separated especially for any given length of time, and Fili hadn't seen the darker haired youngling for hours now.

"Kili!" the blonde finally shouted when he saw his brother in the distance once he'd just gone pass the edge of town. The darker haired dwarf paid the shout little mind, drawing his bow tight and firing off an arrow into the woods.

The blonde heaved a sigh, before jogging across the field to his brother, slowing his pace as he approached, frown deeply set.

"Kili! You've been gone hours! Mother had me sent off to look for you when you didn't return home for lunch. What are you doing?" Fili asked, folding his arms across his chest, watching Kili fire off another arrow. He then noticed the target set up some hundred feet away with more than a dozen arrows stuck into it.

"Uncle Thorin disapproves of my weaponry," was the only explanation the younger gave, before drawing his bow again.

"What? But you're a great smith, and everyone'd agree that your daggers are some of the finest-"

"Not what I make!" Kili snapped, firing off his arrow into the blue, before throwing his bow to the grass. "He disapproves of my choice of skills," he ground out, obvious frustration in his voice.

Fili blinked in mild surprise, before settling a hand on his brothers shoulder. "What makes you say that?"

"I was carving a new bow, and he said…he said archery was meant for elves. That I should take up throwing knives, at the very least…Not very Dwarfish of me to be firing arrows from afar. Not brave enough, I guess," he muttered darkly, stooping quickly to pick up his discarded bow. He carefully brushed the collected grass and dirt off the delicately carved wood. "I need to prove to Uncle that I can be a good bowman. The best archer. Then he'll see that Elves can go climb a tree, as far as I'm concerned. I don't need a sword to be a good warrior. I can do both."

Fili smiled slightly, tugging fondly on a bit of his brother's hair. "I'm sure he won't take much convincing."


	2. Post BoFA, Reincarnation AU

Thorin stared down at the tiny Hobbit child, whose blindingly bright smile had faded to a someone shy one, what with all the staring.

"I…Thank you, little one," Thorin finally managed to mutter, reaching down to pluck the proffered flower from the child.

The child's smile grew once more, bouncing on the balls of his impressive feet.

"Mama says that these flowers are for friends," the child supplied happily as Thorin carefully tucked the bud into the clasp of his cloak.

"You don't say," Thorin replied, gently patting the bud once he knew it was secure, "and whom might I be calling friend, little one?"

"Bilbo Brandybuck!" the hobbitling supplied, causing Thorin to make a choked noise in his throat that the child took no mind of, "My mama named me after one of her cousins! She says he was an adventurer a long loooong time ago. They say he ran off with dwarves and went to live in a magical kingdom of gold and lived happily ever after with a king!" the child sighed dazedly, "They say he even slew a dragon!" He paused a moment, tilting his head in regard to Thorin, "Have you ever heard of my Mama's cousin? Oh! Do you have any stories about him, if you have? It's all so exciting! Oh! Maybe you can to find someone to go on an adventure with you? Can I go? Pleeeease? Papa says I'd be a great burglar, since I helped my cousin Rosemary steal a bunch of apples from the Gamgee's garden without a soul knowing, until she opened her great trap! Oh, please? I would so dearly love to go!"

Thorin couldn't help the quiet sob that left his mouth as he stooped down to kneel before the golden haired child before him, sweeping him into a hug. "When you are old enough, I will gladly take you on a grand adventure," he murmured into the child's hair as the hug was happily returned.


	3. Slave AU

Bilbo paused in his trek to stare up at the imposing mountain looming ahead of him, before the chain around his neck was somewhat roughly yanked and he stumbled forward. He cursed under his breath as he nearly tripped over himself, shooting a quick glare to the back of his captors heads, before he trudged on begrudgingly.

It had been a long journey from the Shire, his captors chatting amongst themselves about the place he destined to wind up. He'd been snagged from the Shire as a trophy, apparently to be presented to some royalty, like a pet. It was really all a big indignity, but at least none of the younger hobbits had wound up caught.

It had all been so quick; the big folk had appeared out of nowhere, the hobbits initially thinking nothing of them, until they'd nearly dragged poor little Rosaline Proudfoot off by her pigtails. Acton was quickly taken to free her, and Bilbo, being the pragmatic and (to his dismay) stupid hobbit that he was, let himself get caught to save anyone else from being taken.

In hindsight, it had been a truly terrible idea.

He sighed in mild relief when they finally got to the gates of the great mountain, the big folk being allowed in after a short interrogation by the dwarves guarding the place. He wanted nothing more than to finally rest his weary feet and give himself a moment to figure out how to get out of the colossal mess he'd managed to get himself into.

Of course, he was so busy toddling off in his own mind, he hadn't realized that he'd been hissed at to bow, and was nearly pulled to the floor when the chain around his neck was once again pulled unnecessarily hard. Bilbo grunted quietly, and corrected his posture as the tiny band of men bowed to a dwarf sitting in a cold looking throne, with the shiniest stone Bilbo had ever seen set high into it.

"We've come with an offering to the great Thror, King Under the Mountain, from a far off, exotic land," one of the men said, throwing his arms out, as if to make show, "We bring these tidings as a show of good will and faith. A gem of the Shire! The folk there posses no great riches, but we bring something of great value. A delicate, small thing, more than happy to do any biding his Highness wishes." And with that he swept low into a bow, and Bilbo was thrust forward, barely catching his feet under himself, before peering nervously up at his new captors through golden curls.

"I have no use for a servant," the King said flippantly, waving a hand at the band of men, who seemed to become uneasy at the comment, "But, my grandson, Thorin, may have use for it. Bring the…Shire-ling forward, so it may be inspected."

Bilbo frowned at the dwarf's obvious ignorance as to what he was, as well as his lack of pronouns. He was a 'he', dash it all, not an 'it'. He let the frown drop, though, as the Prince began to descend the stairs, and he was nudged forward by one of the men, the chain around his neck being handed over to the young royal.

"He's tiny," were the first words out of the Prince's mouth, earning an angry inhalation from Bilbo, his chest puffing up as he bit his tongue to keep from saying anything rash. "But," the prince continued, walking one way around Bilbo, then the other as to not tangle him in the chain, "he appears able bodied. I will accept this gift, and bid you thanks."

The men looked pleased, and Thorin nodded to them, before looking to the King to be dismissed, then promptly dragging Bilbo away from the throne room.

Thorin walked with Bilbo in tow for a while, before stopping in an otherwise deserted hall and turning to the hobbit.

"First off, what are you, and were you taken forcefully?" the Prince asked, unhooking the chain from the hobbit's neck and making a face at the angry red marks and traces of blood around the halflings neck.

"I," Bilbo declared, puffing up, before quickly deflating and rubbing at his sore neck, "am Bilbo Baggins, of Bag End. I am a gentle hobbit of the Shire, and of course I was taken forcefully. Do you honestly think I would've been chained, otherwise?"

Thorin simply shrugged. "Some make it a show, wanting to be close to royalty," he said noncommittally.

"Yes, well, that would be monumentally stupid, if you will excuse me for my bluntness. Who in their right mind would want to be paraded about like cattle, and spoken to like their an idiot? And to top it all off, have to leave the comforts of home to take care of those who are already pampered?!" Bilbo snapped, red in the face from lack of oxygen by the time he was finished. He took a few deep breaths, counting to ten in his head, before speaking again. "I do appologize," he murmured, glancing up at the rather startled face of the Prince, "It's just…that has been a rather long time coming."

Thorin cocked his head, looking mildly perplexed, before snorting and turning. "Well, come along then Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, hobbit of the Shire. Let's go have that wound looked at before it festers."


	4. Dragon tamer Bilbo

Thorin frowned at the round green door before him, glancing back at the grey robed wizard who'd lead his company into the rolling hills of this place called 'The Shire'.

"Are you sure he'll even be willing to help us?" asked a slightly worry faced Kili, shifting from foot to foot, also casting his gaze to Gandalf. The wizard simply huffed in annoyance at them.

"How are you ever going to find out, if you don't even knock on the door?" Gandalf asked, waving a hand in exasperation at the door.

Thorin rolled his eyes, before moving forward and rapping his thick knuckles against the wooden door, stepping back as he heard a shouted 'ONE MOMENT' come from within.

Gandalf hummed a contented noise behind the dwarf king, smiling secretly as the door opened, and a puff of fire was nearly immediately directed in Thorin's direction.

"Oh my goodness!" squawked the hobbit behind the fire ball, a tiny lindwyrm wrapped securely around his neck, it's wings spread out in what was surely supposed to be a threatening manner. "I am so very, terribly sorry! She usually doesn't blow up on strangers like that! Are you alright?"

The dwarf king had managed to pat out the small ball of fire that had caught his tunic aflame, looking even less impressed than he had before. "I am certain I will survive," he stated bluntly, turning the scowl he'd directed at the hobbit at first back towards their wizard.

"Ah, Bilbo," Gandalf said jovially, stepping around Thorin to pat the tiny lindwyrm on the head, "So good to see you again."

The hobbit, Bilbo, sighed quietly at Thorin's anger, before directing a surprised, but pleased smile towards the grey wanderer. "Gandalf! Yes, it's always a pleasure," he chirped patting the now calm lyndwyrm on his shoulder, "However, your visits usually entail a favor of some sort." He smiled lopsidedly up at the wizard, tilting his head slightly. "What is it I might be able to do for you today, old friend?"

Gandalf chuckled, nodding a little at the hobbit's perceptiveness. "That is, rather unfortunately, very true, isn't it? Well, you see, my friends here, they require a very particular kind of help-" He took a somewhat startled step back when Thorin steamrolled over his words and stepped forward, nearly crowding into the hobbit's space once more and earning himself a growl from the lindwyrm.

"I am Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain. I require the aid of a dragon tamer to help remove a fire drake that took my people's homes away from them near sixty years ago," the king stated bluntly, rather looking down his nose at Bilbo, sniffing in mild distaste as the lindwyrm snapped at him from Bilbo's shoulder.

"A fire drake? You mean Smaug?" Bilbo asked, absently patting at the snake-like dragon around his neck to calm it back down. "I-that is a very tall order you have, Oh King. I have heard perfectly well the rumors and stories about the siege of the Lonely Mountain. What ever makes you think that I'll even be able to _try_ and convince a drake like Smaug to leave such a gold hoard?"

Thorin snorted, glancing back at his companions, before sneering at Bilbo. "Well, perhaps if you were to invite us in, we might be inclined to discuss that matter further."

The hobbit blinked in surprise, before looking about, as if completely baffled by the fact that they were still standing outside his hobbit hole. "Oh! Oh goodness, yes. Well…Do come in, then. My appologies. Mind the mud on your boots when you come inside!" Bilbo said, stepping away from the door as he opened it further, before scurrying off further into the smial. "Blasted dwarves, so blunt and brash. Making me forget myself, gracious," he muttered to himself as he vanished around a corner, the lindwyrm around his neck puffing smoke at the dwarves and hissing as they went.


	5. Ewelock inspired Mermaid AU

"UNCLE!"

Thorin turned away from the shark he'd just been fending off, his sword now protruding grotesquely from it's side. It took him but a moment to see what his nephew was screaming at him for, but it was just a moment too soon.

Bilbo, the touchy little scuba diver Gandalf had sent along to help them reclaim their home, was thrashing against grabbing tentacles, holding his oxygen mask desperately to his face as yet another octopus tried to pry it away from his mouth.

Fili and Kili were doing their best to help their new land dwelling friend; Kili, by trying to distract the larger beast by throwing sharp bits of coral and stone at it's eyes, while Fili hacked at the smaller octopus and the larger grabbing tentacles with a dagger. It was all for not, of course, as with a great sweep of one tentacle it knocked Kili into a reef, and with another bashed Fili away with a boulder. Both young mermen sunk quickly and easily from the blows, leaving Bilbo to continue to thrash and squirm, trying desperately to get away.

Thorin let out a bellow, turning to yank his sword free from the fallen shark, before charging at the octopus, slashing at the reaching appendages of the monster, only getting caught up once by the suckers. But once was more than enough to give the smaller octopus time to finally pry Bilbo's mask from his face, and the larger to slam the boulder still in its hold to create a large gash in the divers tank.

Bubbles spewed from the damaged tank as soon as the rock made contact, the divers eyes going wide behind the plastic of his goggles as he slammed his hands over his mouth to try and keep what little oxygen he had in his body. He also stopped struggling, hoping to conserve his energy so he would last longer.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Thorin didn't know as such. He thought the little diver was finally giving up, seeing no way to escape, letting go to allow himself to drown. He snarled, feeling a surge of protectiveness and anger at the sight, and with a mighty bellow, slashed away the tentacles that had hold of him. He swung straight and true, surging forward, and buried his sword to the hilt into the great beasts head.

The tentacles that were once holding Bilbo easily slipped away as the creature died, the diver starting to sink as they did. Fili and Kili swam up just as Thorin rushed to grab the suffocating land dweller, cheering for their uncle to hurry, as bubbles began to leak from between Bilbo's fingers.

Thorin swam as fast as his tail would let him with the added wait of the diver in his arms, his speed only faltering momentarily as Bilbo began to droop in his arms, his hands falling away from his face as he began to lose consciousness.

He cursed and forced himself to his limit, every muscle in his body aching as he broke through the surface, Bilbo gasping and coughing in his arms as he greedily sucked air back into his lungs.

"Thorin," Bilbo murmured once his lungs were sated, though he still trembled slightly from the close call.

The mer-king gently knocked his forehead into the divers in response, unable to find the words he wanted to express how glad he was that he'd managed to breach the surface in time to keep their diver from dying. He let out a shuddery little laugh at the quiet, questioning noise Bilbo made, before ducking his head and kissing the insufferable little fool.

They both glanced up at the round of woops and hollers that chorused not far from them, seeing their rag tag company of mermen lounging around and on an outcrop of rocks from the reef cheering for their 'moment'.

"I'll kill them," Thorin muttered in affection, Bilbo letting out a laugh and lightly smacking him in the shoulder as the mer-king began to swim them over to the rocks.


	6. Modern Day, Break-up

When Bilbo opened the door to the house he had shared for five years with his boyfriend, the last thing he'd expected to find were boxes lined up along the front hallway and most of their belongings gone from the shelves they once occupied.

He stepped further into the house, looking around in utter bewilderment, until he finally walked into the kitchen. There, at the kitchen table, sat Thorin, quietly brooding over what appeared to be a cup of coffee.

"What's going on?" Bilbo asked quietly, setting his satchel carefully next to the kitchen door, before stepping towards the dark haired man, who simply sighed quietly and clutched his coffee cup closer to his chest. "Thorin?"

The older man slowly stood from his place at the table, licking his lips absently, before finally looking up at the curly haired man standing across from him. "I'm sorry."

Bilbo shook his head, chest heaving a little as he took a deep breath, covering his mouth with a hand. "You can't," he said, muffled by his hand, eyes welling up with tears. "YOU CAN'T," he yelled, taking a step back from the other.

"I can't stay here anymore, Bilbo," Thorin murmured, reaching out to the other, Bilbo ducking out of the way of his reaching fingers before they could make contact with his curls. Thorin looked hurt for a moment, before dropping his hand back to his side. "For what it's worth…I truly am sorry."

Bilbo sucked in a deep breath, tears rolling down his cheeks as Thorin stepped past him, down the hallway and out the front door. Bilbo could hear the voices of Thorin's young nephews asking why where they were going, after only just returning from school.

Bilbo shuddered and wept into his knees as the front door clicked shut.


	7. Fem Bilbo, haircut

Bilbo squawked when her hair caught on an overhanging tree branch for what felt like the hundredth time in the last five minutes. She had no idea how those pesky dwarrows managed to keep their hair from constantly getting tangled in things.

She huffed as she finally managed to pull herself free, rubbing at her now sore scalp, scurrying to catch up with the company. "Having troubles, m'lady?" Kili teased, picking at one of the brilliant red ribbons Bilbo used to keep her hair tied into two neat pigtails.

She swatted the bothersome dwarf away, frowning at him. "As a matter of fact, master Kili, I am. I have no idea how you lot can manage to keep your own hair from getting caught in these nasty brambles."

Kili couldn't help the snicker that left him when Bilbo's hair got inconveniently snagged on another low hanging branch.

"That's it!" Bilbo shrieked, drawing the attention of the rest of the company. Thorin stepped forward when Bilbo drew her sword, scowl on her face, while Fili and Kili moved to grab the blade from her. She snarled and swung at them to keep them back, before lifting the blade and swiftly slicing her pigtails just below the ribbons that held them tight, the tightly bound bundles of hair tumbling to the forest floor.

"There," she said, chipper attitude returned as she sheathed her sword, and began to move through the still frozen dwarrows. "Well? What are you lot staring at? Come along!" she said, waving her hand in Thorin's face as she walked past him.

"I could've braided it for you," he grumbled as he followed along behind the hobbit, his eyes not straying far from her freshly cut curls.


	8. Arranged Marriage AU

Thrain sighed quietly at his scowling son, keeping their pace at a solid trot so they could reach the Shire on scheduel.

"Scowling will get you nowhere, Thorin," Thrain scolded, reaching across the small distance between the ponies to fix one of Thorin's fly-away braids. He rolled his eyes when his hand was quickly swatted away.

"Please! Father. This is absolutely ridiculous. Why do I even need to marry this…this _hobbit_? Why can't we just lay siege to this pathetic races' defenses and take their land, if we really wanted it?" Thorin grouched, slumping in his saddle, like the petulant child he was apt at being.

"Because we do not want their _land_, Thorin. We want to secure good relations and trade with the hobbits for the new colony in the Blue Mountains. It is no different than our relationship with Dale," Thrain supplied calmly.

"Yes, but you aren't forcing Frerin or Dis to marry a human," Thorin snapped.

"That is because that was all settled long before any of you were ever born. Do stop being such a child about this, Thorin. You've known for years that you would be betrothed to a halfing. All we were waiting for was for you to become of age, and the Blue mountains to be prepared for habitation. And stop slouching, you look like a slob when you do that."

Thorin huffed out a breath, sitting up and shooting his father one last withering glance as their ponies trotted into the Shire proper.

It was then a hobbit came dashing out of a nearby building to greet them, catching the ponies' reins with a smile. "Ah, you must be Prince Thrain and the young princling Thorin," the hobbit said jovially, giving a quick bow as the two dwarves dismounted. "Welcome to the Shire, Old Took will be waiting for you just inside. I'll hustle your ponies over to the stables for some food and water, hm?" The hobbit gave another quick bow, before leading the ponies away.

"Now, remember your manners," Thrain said, patting Thorin down quickly, making sure his son looked presentable, "These folk are very large on their belching at the table, and do remember to use your fork."

Thorin simply rolled his eyes, following after their father as they went to meet what Thorin so very lovingly called 'his doom'.

Of course, when, instead of a posh little hobbit lass, waiting to be pampered by a princling, Thorin was presented with a pretty little hobbit with a whirl of golden curls adorning his head, and a wreath of snow white blooms perched atop his curls, the young dwarf may have swallowed his tongue.

"A pleasure, I'm sure," the young hobbit, Bilbo he was introduced as, said with a hint of venom and disdain in his tone. He gave the bare minimum of bows, frowning at Thorin the moment the elders backs were turned.

The dwarf prince couldn't help the startled look on his face as Bilbo seemed to size him up, before snorting in distaste.

Oh, he would definitely not be letting this little hobbit get the better of him.


	9. Fili's Birthday

Fili grumbled as he was ushered into the house, scarf wrapped tightly around his head to keep him from being able to see, Kili's tiny hand clasped in his own to keep him from ramming into door frames.

"Hurry _up_, Fee!" Kili crowed, yanking on his brothers hand, nearly making the blonde dwarfling trip over his boots.

"Let's see how well you navigate with your eyes covered, and a poor excuse for a guide leading the way," Fili said, smirking as Kili retorted with an indignant 'hey!' and promptly hit the blonde in the arm. "Anyway, it's _my_birthday, and I will take as long as I please, or need, to get to the kitchen."

Kili sighed loudly, pulling on his brothers hand once more. "Yes, but Mister Dwalin has come back with Uncle from the village, and I saw them carrying a wrapped up package! I want to see what you got!" This simply earned the younger a startled laugh as the duo finally made it into the kitchen of the small house they shared with their uncle.

"Finally!" Kili chirped, letting go of Fili's hand. A sharp pull on the scarf from somewhere behind the blonde left the young dwarfling blinking into the bright light of the kitchen, squinting for a moment before he could focus, his eyes landing first on the cake settled on the table, before moving to his family settled around it.

"Uncle Thorin!" Fili cried happily, running over and clamoring into his uncle's lap for a hug. "We missed you," he murmured, before sitting back and reaching out happily to Dwalin, who was seated next to Thorin at the table. "And mister Dwalin," he chirped at the indignant grumble the dwarf warrior had made when the blonde had all but dived at his uncle. The tattoed dwarf grinned and scooped Fili into a hug, before settling him into a chair next to his brother.

"Happy birthday, Fili, dear," Dis hummed, pressing a kiss to the crown of her eldest sons head, placing a relatively large package on the table in front of the lad.

"Open it, open it!" Kili chanted, getting up onto his knees in excitement, leaning onto the table to get a better look as Fili giggled and ripped apart the parchment that hid his gift from view.

Fili gasped quietly as the last of the yellowed paper was pulled away, revealing two good size swords, obviously of dwarfish make, delicate inlay decorating the blades and heavy leather wrapped expertly around the grip. "Oh, uncle," Fili cooed reverently, carefully lifting one of the blades from its wrapping, inspecting the inlay, before hopping off of his chair to experimentally swing the sword around a little.

"All good little dwarrows need to start with a decent blade," Thorin said with a smirk, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand as he watched Fili swing his sword about.


	10. Fili, Kili, and Ori

Kili laughed as he ran, a well worn leather bound book tight in his grasp. He stumbled only a little as he ducked through the under brush, cackling as his brother rounded a tree and caught up with him, equally gleeful grin on his face.

"Give it back!" a voice cried from behind the brothers, young Ori racing around trees to try and catch up with the mischievous Durin heirs.

"Only if you can catch us!" Kili yelled back, earning a frustrated shout from Ori and a laugh from Fili.

"C'mon, guys! This isn't fair!" Ori shouted after them, shrieking when his foot got caught on a root, and he tumbled to the ground, somehow managing to get caught up in his lengthy scarf on the way down.

The brother simply continued to laugh, and ran on, finally stopped once they reached the banks of a river, both panting and leaning on each other for support.

Ori burst through the underbrush a few minutes later, red faced and panting, his scarf askew, and braids half undone. "Give it back!" he shouted, his face turning redder as the brothers huddled together and began flipping through the younger's journal.

"Stop!" Ori surged forward when Fili stopped Kili's flipping, the two obviously begining to read the writing inside, rather than simply flipping through and looking at the doodles along the margins. "This isn't funny anymore!"

The brothers reacted to Ori's outburst by jumping apart, Kili holding the journal high above his head, Fili grabbing Ori around the middle to restrain him. "Now, now, Ori," the blonde cooed while Kili grinned and reopened the book, "we just want to have a peek! See what you've always got your nose stuffed into."

Ori wriggled in Fili's grasp, kicking the elder Durin in the shin, before scrambling for his book again. "It's none of your business, what I've got my nose stuffed into!" he snapped, jumping at Kili, who held the book above his head. "Give it back!"

With a rather ill fated swat, Ori finally managed to knock the book from Kili's hand, only to have it tumble off the side of the tall embankment the three were standing on.

"NO!" the red head cried, diving for the falling book, his hand outstretched even as the brothers caught him and dragged him back from the edge. "No, no, no!" he cried, falling to his knees and burrying his face in his hands, shaking his head.

The brothers shared a quick look of shame and guilt, never having meant any harm to the younger dwarf. They'd only meant to tease Ori, never actually having wanted to read the writing inside the journal.

"Come now," Fili murmured, moving to crouch beside the youngest of the trio, "It's just a book."

"IT IS NOT JUST A BOOK," Ori shouted, pulling his hands away from his face to punch Fili roughly in the arm, his face red, tears yet un-shed in his eyes. the elder Durin flinched away, rubbing at his arm. "It's my journal! I write everything in there! About-about Mam, and Da, and Dori and Nori, and, and-I want it back!" He cried out when Kili approached him, flailing an arm out and managing to swat the brunette in the knee.

Kili backed away after his failed attempt at comforting, sighing quietly, and wandering over to the edge of the embankment while Fili tried once again to pat Ori on the shoulder, only to get smacked once again. He smiled a little sadly at the display, before peering down towards the water, lighting up when he saw Ori's book caught up on the roots of a tree.

"ORI!" the younger Durin shouted, grinning brightly as he began to climb down the embankment, his brother shooting up and running over immediately. Ori sighed and shook his head, not wanting to see what the brothers were up to now. He'd lost his precious book. He really didn't care about a stupid fish, or pretty rock they may have found.

"Hey! It's your book!" Fili chirped, climbing down after his brother, Ori perking up a bit at the new exclamation. he dared not mover from his spot, however, not wanting to get his hopes up. He really couldn't help sitting forward, though, one hand pressed to the dewy grass in anticipation.

Ori cringed back when he heard a definite splash, followed shortly by another, slumping back on his haunches, the small shred of hope he'd had quickly vanishing. So much for that.

"Tada!" Ori glanced up as two soggy dwarflings climbed back up over the embankment, Kili holding Ori's book up by the binding in triumph. The elder brother handed the slightly damp book to the red head, sheepish smile on his face.

"I am sorry," he murmured, Fili nodding fiercely at his side.

"We only meant to have a bit of fun. Didn't mean any harm. We'd have given it back to you, honest," Fili said adamantly, thumping a fist to his chest.

Ori clutched his book to his chest, sighing in contentment, before gazing up at the sopping wet brothers, a tiny smile slowly crawling across his features. "Fools," he muttered, earning loud laughs from the other two.


	11. An experiment of sorts

"Good afternoon, Bilbo."

"Oh! Mister Thorin! Good afternoon to you, as well."

"How are you today?"

"Not too poorly, if I do say so, myself. Gandalf came to visit!"

"Oh, did he?"

"Yes, yes. He was very adamant that I go on an adventure with him."

"Really? What kind of adventure?"

"Something about dwarves and a dragon. It was all terribly outlandish, you know. Going on adventures. Makes you late for supper."

"Yes, that it would. I'm glad you decided not to go."

"As am I. It would be a shame to miss supper. I would miss your visit, horribly."

"I'm glad to hear that, Bilbo. You're doing very well lately, what with refusing to go with Gandalf. I would miss you as well."

"Mmm. I do hope his comings and goings don't bother Mister Balin at the front desk?"

"Oh, no. I'm sure it doesn't bother Balin in the least bit. Anyway, Bilbo, it's time for your pills. That's a good lad. Here's a glass of water."

"Thank you."


	12. More Dragon Tamer Bilbo

"You know, they're not so bad, once you get used to them," Kili chirped, wiggling his fingers playfully at the tiny lindwyrm currently wrapped around his shoulders. It nipped at his fingers, a low rumbling purr emanating from it's chest.

"It's true, isn't it?" Fili said, happily moving over to join his brother with the dragon, stroking his fingers carefully over its scales, grinning as the lindwyrn stretched its wings out in contentment.

Bilbo smiled in contentment as he watched the brothers play with his pet, hitching his pack a little higher onto his shoulders. "Her name is Bo," he supplied to the Durin heirs, the two flashing him matching smiles, before they went back to tittering over the dragon.

"If you continue to encourage them like that, they will no longer want to remove Smaug from Erebor," Thorin grumbled, walking up behind the hobbit with a scowl on his face.

"I highly doubt that playing with Bo is going to make those boys any less eager to reclaim their homeland," the hobbit supplied, sniffing disdainfully at Thorin, stepping to the side a little so the king wasn't hovering right over his shoulder.

"And how would you know?" Thorin grumped, stepping up beside the hobbit.

"Because, they'd much rather see you pleased and have the Lonely Mountain back in dwarfish possession, than play baby sitter to a gold hungry fire drake," Bilbo said simply. "To be frank, Oh King, Smaug has no rights to your home. Even I, as a tamer, wish to see him removed."

Thorin blinked in mild surprise, glancing down at the curly haired hobbit, whose frown had dwindled and was watching Fili and Kili with a soft look playing across his features. "I…Yes," was all he could manage in reply, his shoulder relaxing a little as he, too, turned his gaze to watch his nephews.


	13. Even more Dragon Tamer Bilbo

"BILBO!"

"I'M COMING, KILI!"

Bilbo cursed as his foot caught on a tree root, causing him to stumble a bit, before picking up the pace again, ignoring the ache in his body.

It had been such a fine day, the company walking through the woods, cheerful chatter resounding through the calm forest around them as they went. Fili and Kili had went ahead, Thorin giving them the okay to scout ahead while the rest of the company meandered along the woodland trail.

They, of course, were definitely not expecting loud shouts, followed by a deafening roar up ahead of their current position. They were especially not expecting Fili to come crashing through the brush, a wild, frantic look on his face, with Kili nowhere in sight.

"Dragon!" was the only thing out of his mouth, before he disappeared, and the company was off after him like a stampede.

"Bilbo! What are that things weaknesses?!" Thorin snapped, running just ahead of the hobbit, shooting a quick glance back as he drew his sword.

"Thorin, no!" Bilbo shouted back, pushing himself a little to grab the back of the dwarf king's tunic, and yanking him back, causing them both to stumble to a stop. Bilbo just managed to move out of the way of Thorin's sword as he swung it while trying to keep his balance.

"What do you mean, no?!" the King snarled, pointing his sword in the direction of the Dragon that was getting further and further ahead of them in the woods, Kili's long jacket clutched between it's jaws. "That beast has my nephew! If we do not kill it, he'll be eaten!"

"No, he won't!" Bilbo insisted, putting what he hoped was a calming hand over Thorin's arm. "She's taking him to her nest. At best, she'll still only have eggs, so she'll be planning on keeping Kili alive until they hatch, so he'll be fine. At worse, she'll have hatchlings, which won't know what to do with a dwarf. He has plenty enough armour to be fine against their teeth, since they'll only have just cut, and their fire won't be hotter than a fledgling camp fire, yet. We only need to follow her, and help him away from the nest! There is no need to kill her because of your paranoia of dragons!"

"And how do you know she will not kill him and feed him to her babes like a mother bird?!" Thorin shouted, raising his sword towards Bilbo, thunderous expression on his face. "How can you guarantee the safty of my kin?!"

Bilbo took a quick step back, eyeing the sword in the dwarf's hand, swallowing thickly. "Because she is a water drake," he said quietly, his gaze slowly lifting from the glinting blade near his throat. "They are peaceful dragons, by nature. They want little more than to live and thrive in their territory. They do not have the malice of fire drakes, nor the destructive tenancies of earth drakes. They only attack if attacked first, so if you go after her, sword drawn, she will most definitely kill Kili. If we take him from the nest, she will simply assume he escaped, and go find new pray for her hatchlings."

"That is still no guarantee," Thorin growled, sword not moving an inch away from the hobbit.

"I have raised plenty of water drakes to know what I am talking about!" Bilbo hissed, fists clenched by his sides, "And if you do not listen, what is the point of even having me with you?! If it were up to you, no dragon would be left on this green earth, so do tell me, Thorin Oakenshield, what is the point of having a dragon tamer in your company if you do not wish to hear anything I have to say?"

Thorin stared at the hobbit for a moment, before sliding his sword back into it's sheath, shooting the hobbit one last glare. "Fine. We will do things your way, halfling. But know this, if my nephew does not come out of this ordeal alive, I will have your hide, next to that dragons."

Bilbo took a deep breath, shooting Thorin a firey glare of his own, before nodding and running off in the direction the dragon had gone.


	14. Bilbo the dragon tamer, yet again

Bilbo ran as if his very life depended on it. Which, in all rights, it did.

Mirkwood was not the nicest of locations the small company of thirteen dwarves and one hobbit had to march through. The trees were begining to molt and rot, the animals that still lived were silent as death, and those that were not could sometimes be spotted littering the forest floor. No flowers could be seem to bloom, and the fruits that could be found were sour or infested. No, Mirkwood was most certainly not the nicest of places to go.

However, one thing the company had certainly not expected, let alone warned about, were the spiders. Oh, certainly, Radagast had mentioned something to Gandalf in passing, but none of the dwarves took any head. Spiders, after all, were not so big a threat to dwarvin warriors.

Alas, spiders that were near twice the size of dwarves, let alone a hobbit, were certainly not what they had been imagining. Not in the least.

When the spiders had descended upon the company, Bilbo had been just lucky enough to get away from their pincers, slashing at spindly legs with his sword and using his slighter stature to it's fullest benefit. Bo, the hobbit's sweet little pet lindwyrm, kept herself wrapped tightly around her master's neck, under his shirt collar, during the battle, only poking her tiny head out the scorch any hairy spider feet that Bilbo didn't immediately notice.

Once out of immediate danger, Bilbo hid, ducking below tangled tree roots and wilting bushes, watching in horror as his friends, almost family, were struck down and caught up in webs by the monstrously large arachnids. He barely contained the sound of distress he wanted to make as he watched the dwarf sized bundles being dragged away.

"Stay quiet, Bo," Bilbo murmured to his dragon, patting her head as he crept out from his hiding place and using his natural talent of sneaking near unnoticeably to the best of his ability to follow the spiders.

The beasts finally stopped after a trek, each spider depositing the dwarves in it's own spot, whether it was half way up a tree, or nestled at the base of a bush. Bilbo chewed absently on the inside of his cheek while he waited for them to finish storing the dwarves for later, watching the hairy monsters finally leave.

Once he figured the coast was more or less clear, he rushed out from his hiding place, using his blade to cut the fallen dwarves free of their sticky prisons. He sighed happily when the first cacoon he opened revealed the dwarf King who, despite looking shaken and pale, was awake and oh so very alive. Bilbo barely managed to contain the urge to hug Thorin, settling for a watery smile.

"Hurry," he hissed at Thorin, while the other pulled weakly at the webbing still sticking to him so he could fully stand, "we need to free the others before the spiders return."

The two set to work, freeing the rest of the company, who were all alive, thankfully, though in different states of wakefulness.

"Thank goodness," Bilbo murmured as he finished cutting Bofur free, smiling at his groggy, confused friend, completely unaware of the dark shadow slowly creeping up to loom over him.

"Bilbo!" Thorin shouted, as the hobbit looked up in mild horror at the lone spider who had returned, it's pincers drawn wide, viscous liquid dripping from it's jaws. The hobbit could barely move, let alone cry out as the spider went to make a move, only to have a burst of flame engulf it's furry maw.

Bo screeched from her spot on Bilbo's shoulder, flapping her wings and taking off from her masters shoulders, zipping through the air like a shot. She spit almost liquidy looking fire balls at the spider, the beasts legs catching flame easily, causing it to rear back and let out a horrible clicking noise as it tried to scramble away from the fire spewing dragon hatchling.

"Bo," the hobbit gasped, just managing to come to his senses and scramble up as Thorin shot forward and with a mighty blow from Orcrist, killed the blazing spider.

"We need to get out of here," Thorin said quickly, knowing that the distressed noises the spider had made while it was burning alive would only draw the rest of the colony to them. He sheathed his sword and began to usher the still slightly wobbling dwarves away from their temporary prison, casting glances around to make sure no more arachnids showed up before they could make their escape.

Meanwhile, Bilbo reached out and caught the tiny, angered lindwyrm in his hands, pulling her to his chest and patting her head to calm her down as she continued to puff out smoke, and tiny bits of wispy flames. "Hush now, hush," he cooed, cuddling her to his chest as he made to move with Thorin, out of the small clearing, "I'm alright, little one. You see? Not a scratch."

The tiny dragon calmed after a few minutes of reassurances, moving to curl around Bilbo's shoulders once more, nuzzling her head just behind his ear. The hobbit chuckled, shaking his head a little, completely oblivious to the contemplative look Thorin was giving the hatching.

If, from then on, the small dragon was found to be munching on extra scraps of meat, or seemed a little more affectionate towards Thorin than she ever had before, no one, especially not Bilbo, said a word.


	15. BilboBofur, courting gift

Prompted by Bluedragonstorm

"Here's your dinner, Bofur," Bilbo hummed pleasantly, apparently startling the poor dwarf so badly he dropped whatever he'd been working on into his lap with a clatter. "Oh, whoops! Sorry, didn't mean to startle," he added holding out the bowl of soup he'd brought over for the toy maker.

Bofur muttered something in Khuzdul, yanking his blanket over what he'd been working on, before turning to Bilbo with a sheepish smile, accepting the bowl carefully. "No worries, lad," the chipper dwarf reassured, despite his obvious agitation at being interrupted, "No harm, no foul."

Bilbo gave the dwarf a lopsided smile, before nodding and moving to go sit next to Ori, figuring Bofur probably wanted to be on his own for a little. Bombur had also gave a start when the toy maker had jumped, and had promptly began to make his way over to his brother, and Bilbo certainly didn't want to get in the middle of some sort of family issue if he could help it.

The rest of the evening went by rather smoothly, the company split into little groups, chatting amicably, singing, and generally enjoying themselves while they had some peace.

Bilbo only began to notice something was off when the arrangements for watch that night were made, and Bombur made a a point of sitting next to Bofur near the edge of camp, heads together, discussing something quietly in Khuzdul. The hobbit frowned lightly, before shrugging it off, and snuggling down onto his bed roll for a good nights sleep.

When the odd jumpy behavior and secretive discussions between the brothers continued, however, Bilbo couldn't help but wonder what was going on, especially when the two would often shoot him furtive glances when they thought he wasn't looking.

"All right!" Bilbo finally snapped on the fifth night, walking over to the brothers, Bofur quickly hiding when he'd been whittling away at, while Bombur gave him a somewhat displeased look, "What in Mahal's name have I done to make you two so-so…standoffish with me lately?!" He stomped one foot on the ground while placing his hands on his hips for emphasis.

"What're ya talkin' 'bout, Bilbo?" Bofur asked, looking innocently up at the hobbit, "We ain't been doin' nothin' but sittin' here, all quiet like."

"Yes, but you've been giving me strange looks for days now, and every time I come within five feet of you, you hide whatever you've been working on, and shy away from me! For pity's sake, I think I've heard more Khuzdul than Westron come out of your mouth for the past few days, I'm beginning to wonder if you're mad at me for something I'm not even aware that I did!" Bilbo exclaimed throwing his hands in the air, earning him the attention of a good portion of the company.

"Now, now, lad," Bofur murmured, rising from his seat, bundling whatever was in his lap up in his blanket as he moved, shooting Bombur a quick look, the younger dwarf simply giving a nod back and moving away from the two. "No need to be makin' such a fuss," the toy maker said, moving beside Bilbo, while ushering him a little further away from the fire and curious gazes.

"I can see why you'd be thinkin' that Bombur and I were plottin' behind yer back, and I do apologize for that. I didn't mean to be makin' ya feel that way. He was just bein' a concerned brother, s'all. He, well, we, didn't want ya to know what I'd been working on prematurely," Bofur continued to explain, once they were a sufficient distance from the fire so those who were trying to listen in would have to strain to hear them.

"And what, exactly, would you be working on that you wouldn't want me finding out about?" Bilbo asked, folding his arms across his chest. The last few days had been somewhat hard for the hobbit, thinking that Bofur and Bombur had been upset with him. Especially the toy maker. Over the course of their journey so far, Bofur had been the first dwarf to reach out to him, to try and befriend him, and subsequently the two had become rather close as time went on. He'd felt at a loss without the other.

"Well, y'see, that," Bofur muttered, glacing down at the bundle in his arms, fidgeting with it a little, before letting out a deep sigh. he carefully unwrapped the bundle, holding it out to Bilbo.

Wrapped neatly in Bofur's blanket was an intricately crafted and carved figure of an Oliphant, with a vines wrapped around it's tusks, a simgle bloom at the end of it's extended trunk.

"Oh, this is lovely," Bilbo said, gingerly picking up the tiny wooden figure, taking a closer look at all the tiny decorations on the blanket carved onto the Oliphant's back, running his fingers over the delicate tusks and trunk. "But, why in the world wouldn't you want me to see this?"

Bofur looked abashed for a moment, tugging lightly on one of his braids, before sighing and shrugging. "It's…well, it's a a courting gift," he said quietly, in a bit of a rush, dropping his hands to his sides.

"A courting gift? Oh, it'll be lovely as a courting gift! You can tell how much love went into your carving. But, why would it matter if I saw it before it was finished or not?" the hobbit asked, looking up at Bofur's rather embarrassed expression. He blinked, looking back down at the figure in his hands, then back at the dwarf, realization slowly dawning.

"Oh. Oh! I. I don't know what to say," Bilbo gasped, pressing the figure to his chest, gaping a little at Bofur, "I had no idea. I…Oh, Bofur," he murmured, looking down at the tiny Oliphant, chewing on his lower lip.

"It's alright, Bilbo," Bofur said, reaching out to pat the hobbit on the shoulder, a sad, somewhat resigned looking smile on his face. "I sort of knew ya didn't think of me that way. Bombur tried to talk me out of makin' it for ya at first, I'll be honest. Worry not, master hobbit. You can just keep it as a gift of friendship." The toy maker then gave Bilbo's shoulder a tiny squeeze, before stepping back, turning to walk back to camp.

"Wait!" Bilbo snapped, reaching out to snag Bofur's sleeve, giving it a good yank to get the dwarf to stay put. "You didn't even give me time to think!" He frowned at the dwarf, Bofur simply blinking in surprise at being yanked backwards.

"I accept."

"Pardon?" Bofur asked, rubbing at his ear, as if it were plugged, "You mind repeatin' that for me?"

Bilbo chuckled, stepping into the dwarf's space, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I accept," he repeated quietly, smiling shyly at the beaming grin he received from the toy maker.


	16. And yet, even more dragon tamer Bilbo

"What's that sound?"

Bilbo turned to give Dwalin a questioning glance, pausing mid-step. "What sound?" he asked, before the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches made itself abundantly clear.

"That sound!" Dwalin snapped, pulling his axes free from their straps, glowering at the woods surrounding them.

Bilbo swallowed thickly, the hand not on his walking stick subconsciously moving to the small sword at his hip. "I'm sure it's nothing," he muttered, shifting back a step as Thorin moved to stand closer, Orcrist already unsheathed. The way that Bo flared up around his neck most certainly didn't bode well for his prediction.

With a crash and snap, one of the great trees that had once been rooted neatly along the path the dwarves were taking gave way, and slammed into the ground, scattering leaves and twigs into the wind. A resounding roar followed shortly thereafter, the ground almost seeming to tremble as a great white dragon stepped into their path.

The dwarves were immediately on guard as the dragon shook it's head, huffing a snort and began to saunter towards their rag tag band. Thorin stepped in front of Bilbo, Orcrist raised, while the rest of the dwarves closed ranks, weapons at the ready.

Bilbo stared up at the dragon for a good long moment as it snorted at the weapons brandished in it's direction, flexing it's wings, and very nearly uprooting the trees on either side of it's massive body. "It can't be," the hobbit murmured, putting a hand on Thorin's shoulder and stepping to the side of the king.

Thorin protested, reaching out to Bilbo, grabbing the hobbit's sleeve and yanking him back. Bilbo stumbled a little, letting out a startled yelp as he nearly fell back into the dwarf. "Now, now, Thorin!" Bilbo snapped, the dragon in front of them extending it's neck forward, eyes narrowing at the dwarf king, "Don't be quite so rash."

"It is a dragon," Thorin growled, "A large one at that. I am entitled to being a bit rash, especially where other's safety is concerned!"

The hobbit huffed, pulling his sleeve free as he straightened out his jacket. "Please," Bilbo grumbled, "I am aware that it is a dragon, Thorin. That does not mean that it's immediately going to try to eat you, or make off with your gold. Do give me a bit of credit, here."

The dragon's head, by this time, was very much in Thorin's space, much to the dwarf king's chagrin. He scowled at the beast, his fingers flexing around his sword's handle, before the dragon took a deep breath, and huffed it back out, causing the King to stumble backwards from the gust, his hair blowing into his face.

Bilbo grinned, a hand quickly moving up to his mouth to stifle the laughter that threatened to bubble up and out. "So, it is, then," he murmured once his giggle fit had passed, and Thorin had himself straightened out a bit, though he still looked plenty disheveled. "Sol, my sweetling," the hobbit exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air as the dragon tilted his head to look at him.

"You know this beast?" Thorin snapped, stabbing Orcrist into the ground, scowling at Bilbo as the dragon moved it's snout to nuzzle at Bilbo, causing the hobbit to stumble a little.

"Of course," Bilbo said cheerfully, the company putting their weapons away as they moved to inspect the might white beast before them, never having had the opportunity to see a fully grown dragon up close before, without having to worry for their safety. Thorin didn't budge. "Sol was one of the first dragons I raised from an egg! He had to leave me not long after he hit his first growth spurt once he was no longer a hatchling. The Shire is really no place for a snow dragon," Bilbo explained, patting the dragon's snout while the dwarves inspected the drake, Bo fluttering off Bilbo's shoulder to settle on Sol's head.

"That does not explain why he's here, let alone crashing through the woods and uprooting trees," Thoring groused, pulling his sword from the ground and putting it back into it's sheath.

Bilbo paused to contemplate that question for a moment, running his finger along the short, sharp point of one of Sol's horns. "I'm not entirely sure, to tell you the truth," he said, glancing up at Thorin, chewing on his lip, "By all rights, he should be up north, or high up in the mountains. It's odd for a snow drake to be found in the forest. It's too warm a climate, especially with his winter fur." The hobbit looked back at the dragon, almost muttering to himself, "It must be like the trolls. He's more tame, since I raised him, so whatever made the trolls come down from up north, must have made him come down as well. As for why he come upon us, that would probably be because I smell like safety to him. Dragon's imprint, you see, much like other babe's."

Thorin rolled his eyes as Bilbo rambled, finally stepping forward to stand next to the hobbit. "So, he's just wandering about now, harassing travelers. Perfect," he grumbled, resisting the urge to draw a blade on the dragon as it raised it's face from Bilbo to sniff curiously at Thorin.

"Not entirely. Sol liked to keep to himself when he was wandering about the Shire. Like I said, he probably only came to us because he could smell me," the hobbit reiterated, smiling as the dragon blew Thorin's hair into his face.

"Can he come with us, too?!" Kili asked, popping up from beneath one of Sol's wings, "He could be our body guard! Breathing fire on all who dare cross us."

Bilbo chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm afraid not, Kili. Sol shouldn't even be this far south. It's far too warm. Besides which, he doesn't breath fire. He breaths ice crystals. If he were to come with us, he would probably get sick, or injured. He's always been uncharacteristically pacifistic for a dragon of his size."

Kili sighed dejectedly, patting the dragon's hide. "I suppose that's for the best, then," he said, ducking back under Sol's wing to continue whatever examination he'd been doing.

"Can we move on, then?" Thorin asked, pushing the dragon's head away from his person as Sol continued to try and sniff at him, almost nipping at the furs of his jacket.

Bilbo watched in mild amusement for a moment, before he grinned widely and clapped his hands together. "Actually," he declared, "this presents us with a magnificent opportunity! One that I think may help you understand dragons a little better. Or, at least appreciate them more."

Thorin wasn't quite sure when, how, or why he'd agreed to it, but he then shortly thereafter found himself seated at the base of the white beast's neck, clinging to the fur along the back of it's neck, which resembled a horses mane. "This cannot be safe."

"Don't worry," Bilbo said with a grin, patting Sol on the neck, "Just hold on tight, and keep your legs clamped, as if you were riding a horse."

"A horse is not likely to drop me from hundreds of miles in the air," Thorin snapped, gasping uncharacteristically as the dragon extended it's wings and began to flap them for take off. He lurched forward, holding on with all of his strength as the dragon lifted off the ground, Fili and Kili shouting not so encouraging comments about plummeting to his death, while Bilbo simply smiled and waved up at him.

"If you drop me, I will not hesitate to forgo seeing the halls of my fore bearers in order to haunt you perpetually," he seethed at the dragon as the company and the trees around them quickly became smaller and smaller. Sol did not stop climbing in altitude until they were soaring along with some low clouds, the dwarf king sputtering in mild indignation as they flew through a few, dampening his clothes and hair.

After a few minutes of soaring, Thorin sat up a little, his iron grip never fading, but he managed to hazard looking around, and down at the ground. His eyes widened as he took in the sites, looking to the East to see Erebor, standing tall, but looking tiny amongst the surrounding landscape.

"No wonder your kind don't have much regard for other races," he murmured, watching what looked like a miniature heard of horses gallop across the ground, "everyone else looks so tiny from up here."

He paused to think about what he'd said for a moment, looking back towards the forest they'd just flown out of. "Although, I suppose you were raised by the smallest of them all, weren't you?" He reached forward with one hand, patting Sol's shimmering scales in mild affection, before reestablishing his grip. "You lot are so very odd," he mused, smiling faintly as the dragon began to descend back towards the ground.


	17. Bagginsheild, flowers

Flowers & their meanings:

Arbutus-"You're the only one I love"

Amaranth-Immortal Love

Aster-Love, trusting

Primrose-Eternal Love

Forget-Me-Not-True Love

Daffodil-Uncertainty, return my affection

Honeysuckle-Devoted affection

Willow-Forsaken Love

Rue-Regret, Sorrow, Repentance

(There's one more at the end of the fic)

Bilbo swallowed thickly as he gently rolled a flower stem between his fingers, before carefully adding it to the small bundle of different blooms he had picked so far. Gathered together he'd managed to find a nice sprig of white arbutus blooms, a bright purple amaranth, a couple pale purple stems of aster, a small bunch of yellow primrose flowers, and a smattering of multi-coloured forget-me-nots.

He smiled nervously at the flowers, gently stroking his fingers over the delicate, soft petals. Back in the shire, a bouquet such as the one he had gathered would have been considered simply far too forward for ones intended, what with all the declaration in the colourful blooms. Most would have settled for simple daffodils, or honeysuckle, which were both abundant in the shire, and not nearly as boisterous in their confession. After all, if affection was all one held, hearts would not be so easily broken if the flowers were cast aside by the receiver.

Flowers, to hobbits, had always been the first step in courting. Gathering blooms and branches that could speak where one's voice dare not, for fear of faltering or miscommunication. If one's bouquet was accepted, courting may officially begin, both parties then knowing how they felt for one another, and that their feelings were reciprocated. If they were cast aside, the rejected hobbit would then be expected, and permitted, to go into a short state of mourning, quite often locking themselves away and not interacting with anyone outside their family while their heart healed.

Bilbo had only ever seen a courting bouquet be cast aside once, and it had broken his heart to watch while the young lass who had so carefully chosen her blooms dashed away, tears falling from her eyes. He had heard she had locked herself away in her rooms for almost two months, and when she had finally emerged, she had lost a few stone, and chopped all of her shimmering gold curls off in a fit.

He shuddered to think of the rejection, biting his lip and looking down at the bundle of flowers in his hands. It was a risk, he knew, to give Thorin the flowers. After all, he was a dwarf, and a king, for that matter. What would he want with the love of a hobbit? What could Bilbo offer that Thorin could not easily provide or claim for himself?

He sighed after a moment, lifting his head as he heard someone crashing through the underbrush, shouting his name, calling for him to return to camp, as supper was prepared. He sucked in a deep breath, holding the little flowers that were the declaration of his heart to his chest, glancing up at the slowly darkening sky.

"Oh, Mahal," he murmured, "give me strength." And with that, he turned on his heel and headed back to camp, intent on giving Thorin his love, no matter the consequences. Even if the dwarf king scoffed at his offering and ignored him for the rest of his journey, he would still do his best to help his friends reclaim their mountain, and do his very best to stay out of Thorin's way. He would then return to the Shire, and take his time to mourn for his broken heart, and lost possibilities.

He jerked a little when the first sight he came upon once he'd gotten back to camp was Fili and Kili jumping up from their seats and rushing over to him, before engulfing him in a dwarf sandwich very nearly crushing his flowers.

"Oh, Bilbo!" Fili cried, petting the hobbit's curls, grin on his face, "We had thought a warg had snapped you up, when you disappeared into the forest on your own!"

"We were all so dreadfully worry about you," Kili piped in, shooting a smirk in the direction of his uncle, who only looked disgruntled at his nephews teasing.

"Yes, well, as you can see, I am perfectly uninjured," the hobbit snapped, shoving at the dwarrows, while doing his best to keep his flowers unscathed. "Your worry was for not, and I beg of you to release me," he huffed, grunting when he was unceremoniously dropped by the brothers.

"That is quite enough, you two," Thorin rumbled. His voice was far closer than he had been mere moments before, causing Bilbo to look up to find the dwarf King with one of each of his nephews ears in hand, making the two squirm and try to find their release from their uncle.

"We were just expressing our joy at seeing our burglar unharmed," squwaked Kili, managing to extract himself from Thorin's hold, scurrying a few feet away while Fili was finally let go. "No need to be so touchy, uncle."

The brothers scurried away from their uncle and the hobbit, shooting back smirks and giggling between themselves like the horrible little pranksters that they were.

"I apologize for their behavior," Thorin said, watching his nephews for a moment, before casting his gaze back to Bilbo. "They have been getting up to far more trouble than normal as of late."

Bilbo simply smiled, climbing back up onto his feet while dusting dirt off his pants. "Worry not," he said, his cheeks slowly flushing as he recalled the flowers still clutched in his hand, "I had actually wanted to speak with you, so this has given me a good opportunity."

"And what might you be wanting to discuss?" The king watched Bilbo in mild curiosity as he was presented with the bouquet of flowers, slowly taking them in mild confusion.

"I know this is rather brash," Bilbo said quickly, rubbing his now sweaty palms on his waist coat, "heavens knows I would be given such looks back in the Shire, but...well, yes. You can see for yourself."

Thorin simply frowned at the flowers in his hand, lifting them a bit into the fire light so he could get a better look at them, before giving the hobbit the most confused of scowls. "What am I supposed to be seeing, exactly?" He twirled the flowers in his hand, looking over the bouquet, before splitting the stems apart to see if there was something in the middle of the flowers. His scowl deepened as he pulled a few petals from one of the Asters, and proceeded to pull apart the petals of the primrose, as if the blooms held some sort of secret.

Bilbo couldn't help the tiny, horrified gasp that left his lips as Thorin began to destroy the little flowers, hands immediately moving to cover his mouth as he blinked rapidly to keep his emotions as bay. He had been prepared for Thorin to toss the flowers aside, while scoffing and commenting on how silly and useless hobbit's were. He was not prepared for such a flagrant display of utter hate.

"I-I am sorry for bothering you," the hobbit choked out, sucking in a quick breath as Thorin dropped the decimated petals to the ground. He turned and fled from the scene before the king could get a word out, fleeing back into the woods where he'd come from, choking back tears until he would be safely out of earshot, and none of the dwarves would be able to hear his pathetic sobs.

Once he felt he was safe, he collapsed into a heap at the foot of a tree, curling in on himself as tears began to streak down his cheeks. He hadn't the faintest idea that the king would still hate him so, especially not after all they'd been through. They had been getting on so well after the run in with the goblins and Azog; spending so much time together, chatting, eating, walking, and occasionally sleeping next to each other. Once, Thorin has even stayed up with Bilbo during his watch, the two accidentally forgetting to wake Nori up for the next shift, talking until the sun had began to paint the sky bright pinks and oranges.

He wept into his knees, lamenting his stupidity at thinking a dwarf king would really hold any sort of affection for a hobbit. Especially not a soft little hobbit like Bilbo, one whose company had been forced upon him. No, he had most definitely been a fool.

He sniffed and wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, casting his gaze up to find himself sat under a willow tree. "Oh, how fitting," he mumbled into his sleeve, letting his head tilt back until it rested against the bark of the tree, watching as the wind slowly played with the leaves and branches.

He jumped when he heard someone shouting his name after a while of silence, the tell tale sounds of rustling leaves and snapping twigs alerting him to the fact that whoever was looking for him was not too far off. He let his head fall back to the tree trunk, letting out a sigh. His tears had stopped flowing for a few minutes now, his eyes simply slightly red from his outburst. He would let whoever was looking for him find him. After all, he'd already vowed to himself to help the dwarves reclaim Erebor, no matter the outcome of his confession. Even if he hadn't been expecting such outright hatefulness.

"There you are," Thorin huffed as he shoved aside the branches of a particularly overgrown bush, swatting at the leaves as it tried to cling to his tunic. Bilbo shuddered and ducked his head at the scrutiny of the other as his rumpled and tear stained appearance was taken in by the dwarf.

"I'm sorry, if I caused any trouble," Bilbo said quietly, trying to appear as small as possible under the tree, "I just needed to be alone for a time." He didn't expect the tiny sprig of Rue to be so suddenly thrust into his face. He took the sprig carefully, staring in surprise at the tiny yellow flowers.

"Ori, he-I didn't realize what you were doing," Thorin said, moving to sit next to the hobbit. "You have been teaching him the ways of the hobbits, have you not?" At Bilbo's tiny nod, the king continued, even if the hobbit's gaze was still fixed on the stem in his hands. "I made mention of how you had reacted to the company, most finding it humorous that you would become so upset over such a trivial thing, such as flowers. That is, of course, until Ori piped up about the language of flowers. He demanded to see what blooms you had given me, and with a quick explanation, I was quickly being scolded by twelve dwarves over how foolish and heartless I had been."

Bilbo finally managed to tear his gaze away from the flowers in his hand and directed it up towards the dwarf king next to him. "You don't know the language of flowers?"

"I know the language of stones, and gems," Thorin said, arching an eyebrow, "Did you not think it odd that Ori did not know, if it was something dwarves would be taught?"

"I had assumed, because he was young, he had yet to learn," Bilbo admitted, feeling somewhat foolish for not thinking to explain the importance of his flowers to Thorin before presenting them.

"Ori is young, but not that young, halfing." Thorin sighed at the tiny cringe that elicited from Bilbo, shifting to wrap an arm around the small figure. "I have grievously dishonored you and your ways, and for that I am truly repentant. Never would I ever mean to inflict such ache to your heart, even if it was only caused by accident. Believe me when I say, Bilbo, that I have and will from this day forward, only ever have the very best of intentions and affections towards you."

Bilbo was yet again startled as a single, white rain lily was held carefully out to him, his eyes widening as he took the bloom with shaking fingers.

Rain Lily-I love you back, I must atone for my sins, I will never forget you


	18. iTunes Challenge, 5 drabbles

Furtado-Trynna Finda Way

Thorin stumbled down the street, the warmed neck of a glass beer bottle clutched in his fist. He growled at himself as he tripped over a crack in the side walk, just managing to catch himself against the rough brick of a building he'd been walking next to. The clatter of his beer bottle hitting the pavement and rolling into a metal garbage can startled a cat into yowling and running off down the alley.

He huffed, shoving himself back onto his feet, and continued on his way back to his apartment, swiping loose strands of hair out of his face every time they managed to become free of the ponytail at the nape of his neck.

"Thorin," he heard a familiar voice gasp, just barely glancing up as he lost his footing again, the firm grip of his eldest nephew catching him around the middle. "Not again…"

Thorin tried for only the barest of moments to get away from his nephew, before letting himself lean into the support.

"Uncle," Fili murmured, hoisting Thorin into a better position, before helping to lead the drunk man home, "Why don't you just go back to Bilbo, if you're so miserable?"

- My Oh My

Bilbo stared at Thorin in shock, the King chuckling as he reached forward to gently tap Bilbo's jaw closed.

"But…Really? Thorin, I'm just a hobbit," Bilbo murmured, his gaze flickering between the circlet in the lined box that had been presented to him, and Thorin's face.

"Of course I am, Halfling," Thorin said, lifting the delicate silver circlet and placing it on the hobbit's head with the tiniest of smiles, as if the king was afraid it would break if he let it grow any larger.

Bilbo reached up to touch the cool metal on his forehead, swallowing thickly, before dropping his hand back to his side, staring up at the dwarf. "You know I must go back to the Shire, my king," he murmured, throat constricting even as he spoke the words, "I cannot remain here."

Bilbo carefully took the circlet from his curls and pressed it back into the King's hands, before fleeing.

-Be a man

"Don't! Thorin, no!"

The king turned away, gesturing towards the guards at the door, as he vanished into his chambers. The guards then moved so Bilbo couldn't get through, even as the doors slammed shut.

Bilbo could feel his breath speeding up as he stumbled back a couple of feet, tears welling up in his eyes, before he turned to see Fili and Kili standing in the hallway, guilty expressions on each of their faces.

"We're very sorry, master Baggins," Fili said quietly, ducking his head so he wouldn't have to meet the broken hearted hobbit's gaze.

"We'll be escorting you out of Erebor," Kili added, shuffling forward a little, holding an arm out to Bilbo.

The hobbit shuffled forwards, his mind going blank as he allowed himself to be lead away.

$ha- Tik Tok

Thorin stared up at the stage, swallowing thickly as the dancer twirled around the pole, flashing him a flirtatious smirk, before he swaggered off to the other side of the stage to gather up a few bills that were scattered there.

"Ah, has one of the dancers finally caught Uncle's fancy?" Kili grinned, elbowing his uncle in the side gleefully,m earning a quick glare from the elder man.

"Now, now, brother. No teasing. You know Uncle is shy," Fili joined in, flopping down onto the sofa next to Thorin, handing out the beers he'd just collected from the bar. The brothers began to cackle, trading lewd comments and generally making their uncle's face go as scarlet as they possibly could.

Finally, the eldest Durin huffed and left the booth he'd been sitting at with his nephews, moving to sit next to his oldest business partner, Balin, grumbling under his breath about how a strip club was inappropriate for a business party.

"Come now, Thorin," Balin chuckled, patting the CEO on the head, "The lads are just having fun with you. Besides, no one can blame you. That young man on the stage right now is quite lovely to look at."

Thorin simply groaned and slid further down in his chair, covering his red face with his hands, even as the curly haired dancer glanced over at him and grinned at his obvious embarrassment.

Furtado- Powerless

Bilbo sighed happily as he tended to his garden, shifting back on his haunches to wipe his brow, unthinkingly just spreading dirt across his face. He glanced up when he heard his patio doors open, offering his agent a small smile as the other wandered into his green space.

"Oh, Bilbo," Thorin grumbled, frowning at the dirt smeared face of his model, "You're filthy. And you have a fitting in an hour. Please, for once in your life, listen to me. Go shower, and get dressed in the new Armani design you were sent. We need to leave in half an hour if we want to arrive on time. And please, for the love of all that is good on this green earth, leave your hippy opinions at home when we go to your interview after your fitting!"

Bilbo chuckled as he rose onto his feet, brushing dirt off of his knees as he went, before moving to pat Thorin on the cheek, leaving an unpleasant dirt handprint in his wake. Thorin flinched, scowling as he dug a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the dirt away, even as Bilbo went up onto his tip toes to press a quick kiss to his manager's clean cheek.

"I will make no promises as to my 'hippy opinions'," Bilbo grinned, dancing out of the way as Thorin moved to swat him on the rear as he began to head inside, "Nor will I say that we'll manage to make it to the fitting on time." He flashed the other man a grin, before disappearing into the house, his gardening smock fluttering behind him as he began to pull his clothes off on the way to the bathroom.

Thorin sighed, before following after his client and boyfriend, a hint of a smirk on his face.


	19. Music inspired-Mediterranean Lady

Bilbo sighed heavily as he wandered out onto his balcony, moving to lean on the banister, resting his cheeks in the palms of his hands. He let his eyes flutter shut after gazing up at the clear night sky for a few moments, letting a smile play across his lips as his mind wander off into memories.

-

Giggles filtered in through the windows as Bilbo finished setting up for the afternoon classes, causing the teacher to smile softly. He finished setting his books up, before moving to the classroom doorway to gaze out at where the children were playing out in the courtyard, blinking in mild surprise when he didn't find what he'd been expecting. Where the children would normally be playing ball, hopscotch, or just generally running about like little wild beasts, he found them gathered around an odd looking man, who appeared to be quite confused as to why he found himself surrounded by children.

Bilbo went to help the poor man fend off the rowdy group of children, but stopped mid-step to cover his mouth with a hand to stifle his laughter. One of the young girls had managed to convince the man to make himself comfortable on the ground so she could proceed to braid the long ponytail he had.

"All right, children, time for class," Bilbo called out at last, clapping his hands to make sure he had all the children's attention. He grinned as the children all ran past him into the school, the poor man left sitting alone in the middle of the courtyard, looking even more confused than he had a moment previous. He shifted, offering the man -who was obviously a traveler, now that Bilbo could see his strange attire- a warm smile, gesturing for him to come inside as well. "Well, you may as well come along as well," Bilbo called, turning with a nod as the man got up from the ground, and began to make his way over to the entrance to the classroom.

"I seem to find myself lost," the man said, voice low and gruff, but with an underlying hint of shyness at the admission that made Bilbo smile.

"I figured as much," Bilbo laughed, patting the man on the shoulder, while directing him to a chair, "Why don't you sit in on the children's afternoon class, and after, I'll be happy to take you anywhere you might need to go. Perhaps you might even be willing to share some stories with the children? You look like someone with many stories to tell."

The man took the offered chair, staring up at Bilbo for a moment, before a tentative smile made itself known on his face. "I would be quite appreciative of that," the man said, offering a hand to Bilbo, "My name is Thorin."

-

Bilbo laughed as he was twirled around the dance floor, his coat tails swirling out behind him as he moved, giggling like a loon as he was pulled back into the chest of his dance partner.

"You're garnering many stares," Thorin rumbled, contented smile on his face as he continued to dance with Bilbo.

"Well, it simply can't be helped," the young teacher hummed, grinning at the man he'd once thought a mere lost traveler. It had turned out that Thorin was a prince, sent out to see the world by his father, so he might learn to rule better, by living amongst his people. "I am, after all, dancing with the most handsome of partners."

"Tsk. I think it has more to do with your obnoxious giggling," Thorin teased, twirling them across the dance floor gracefully. "That, or your most enchanting smile."

Bilbo couldn't help the flush that crept across his cheeks, swatting the prince playfully on the shoulder as they exited the dance floor, hand in hand.

-

Thorin hummed in contentment as he ran his fingers through Bilbo's soft curls, staring off into the middle distance. The two were lounging on the balcony adjacent to the prince's room, watching as the sun began to set in the distant horizon, casting soft pastels, and vibrant hues of gold across the landscape.

"Thorin," Bilbo murmured, tilting his head up from it's position on the prince's chest, a light frown on his lips, "What are we going to do, come winter?"

"Whatever do you mean?" the prince asked, watching as sunbeams played with Bilbo's curls, and made the soft blondes turn fiery reds and vibrant golds.

"Well…I am only here on contract until November," Bilbo said quietly, turning his gaze out towards the sea. "Once it's up, my working visa will expire, and if I stay longer than a month, I am to be exported. I…Your country has very strict immigration laws." The teacher ducked his head, tightening his hold on the prince's hand.

Thorin's eyes widened a little at the admission of his lovely little teacher, staring up at the sky as a seagull flew past. "I hadn't thought of that," he nearly whispered, suddenly finding himself despairing at the thought of losing the lively young man he'd come to care for so deeply.

-

"I'll miss you so very much," Bilbo sobbed, clinging to the front of Thorin's jacket, the fur at the edging of his jacket freezing with his tears.

"I will find you again, beloved," Thorin said, pressing one final kiss to his teacher's forehead, before gently parting them, and pushing Bilbo towards the airport gate.

Bilbo wept the entire flight back home (No, not home. Home was a well worn sofa, huddled under a warm blanket, curled up next to his prince), knowing that Thorin had duties to his country, and would likely not be coming to find a simple teacher. Would not be bothering with such a trivial task as that.

-

"BIlbo."

Bilbo stared at the man standing just outside his classroom door, looking a tad disheveled, but regal and handsome as ever. He could barely believe his eyes, rubbing at them, thinking it had to be some trick of his tired mind. The two stood there so long, simply staring at one another, some of the children in the class had began to gather at Bilbo's sides, trying to get a look at whoever could cause their teacher to look so bewildered.

"It's been three years," was the first thing out of Bilbo's traitorous mouth, instead of 'I've missed you!' or any other sort of exclamation of excitement and happiness at finally seeing his prince again.

Thorin shifted uncomfortably, looking abashed. "I am sorry for that," he said, reaching a hand out to touch two fingers to the back of Bilbo's hand, as if unsure if he was allowed just yet, "but changing immigration and marriage laws takes some time."

Bilbo blinked rapidly, letting the words the other spoke slowly sink into his brain, before slowly turning his hand and gently taking his prince's hand in his own. "You-you changed laws?" he asked, stunned, "Whatever for?"

It was Thorin's turn to chuckle at the other's confusion for once. "For you, of course. How was I ever to marry my beloved and have him move into my country, if the laws would not allow it?"

Thorin very nearly fell back into the wall when he suddenly found himself with an armful of excited, tearful school teacher.

-

"Bilbo, love?"

Bilbo startled out of his daydreams when he felt a blanket drape across his shoulders, and a kiss being pressed to his temple. He smiled, turning his head to kiss his husband properly, reaching up to tangle his fingers in wild black and grey locks.

"Sorry. Just lost in memories," he hummed, leaning into the warmth of his prince.


	20. Fem Bilbo, Gender confusion

"You've got to be kidding me!" Bilbo shrieked, throwing her hands up into the air.

"Well, to be honest, m'lady, we thought you were just an exceptionally broad halfling," Dori tried to salvage, earning a quick and piercing glare from the hobbit.

"I HAVE BREASTS," she shouted in Dori's face, making the elder dwarf shrink back.

"Yes, well, uhm, yes," Dori floundered, looking every bit as flustered as he felt.

"Dwarf woman look much like dwarf men, but they were skirts," Thorin stated, folding his arms over his chest, "How exactly were we supposed to know, exactly, when you only wear britches?"

"BREASTS. DO YOU SEE?" Bilbo ranted, pointing at her chest. "And my hair! I have long hair!"

"So do we," Kili chirped, seemingly unfazed by Bilbo's ranting and raving.

Bilbo clenched and unclenched her fists several times, before screaming about the idiocy of dwarves and stomping off to have her bath in privacy, clutching her clothes to her chest.


	21. Durin angst

Kili pounced on his older brother's back, grinning from ear to ear as he tugged on the blonde's new braids.

"Kili! Get offa me!" Fili shouted, batting at his brother, before falling into a heap on the floor on top of the brunette. Kili grunted and shoved at the larger boy as he hit the floor, grin never faltering.

"Can't you hear it?" the younger asked, finally shoving his brother off and scrambling to his feet, before he headed towards the door.

"Hear what?" Fili asked, sitting up his his knees, and staring after his brother, straining his ears to hear what the other was talking about.

"Father and Uncle are coming home."

Fili perked up when he heard the distant sound of a trumpet sounding off, and the feet of the returning warriors on the rocks leading into town. He jumped to his feet and scrambled after his younger brother, the two of the taking off to meet the returning men, even as their mother bade them to stay put.

"FATHER! UNCLE," Kili shouted, waving his arms in the air, Fili hot on his heels.

They could see Thorin look in their direction, before casting his glance away, towards a cart being pulled by two other dwarf warriors.

"It can't be," murmured Fili, clutching his brother's shoulders to hold him back as the caravan grew closer.

"Can't be what? Fee, let me go! I want to find father! FATHER," the younger Durin heir shouted, casting his gaze about for the familiar face of his sire.

"Kili," Fili hissed, trying to pull his brother back from the path, and failing miserably when the tiny brunette finally broke free, and dashed towards the advancing warriors.

None would meet his eye as he asked where his father might be, causing his small heart to beat faster as Thorin and the cart towed behind him got ever nearer. A dawning dread settled on Kili's shoulders as his Uncle finally stopped in front of him, his elder brother slowly approaching from behind.

"Where is father?" Kili all but whispered, unshed tears welling in his eyes.

In a manner most unfitting a prince of Erebor, Thorin fell to his knees in front of his nephews, before pulling them into his arms in a fierce embrace.

"I am so very sorry."

The scream that tore from the youngest of the Durin line's mouth would haunt Thorin for many years to come.


	22. Young dwarrows or Gimli is a butt

"This isn't fair! I should be able to go, too!" Gimli stomped his foot into the ground, arms folded across his chest, looking every bit the petulant child he was acting.

Fili and Kili chuckled, packs already on their backs as Ori scopped his up and slung it on. "Come now, Gimli," the young scribe said with a kind smile, "We'll have returned before you even realize we'd left. And then we'll all head back to Erebor together!"

Gimli huffed, before reaching out to tug on one of Ori's short braids, causing the scribe to yelp quietly and bat at his hand. "You haven't even got much on yer chin yet. Just s'not fair that you get to go where I cannot."

Ori rubbed at the side of his head, giving the younger dwarf a sympathetic shrug, as Kili stepped forward and clapped Gimli on the shoulder. "It simply can't be helped that you were born just a few years too short," the young trickster said with a grin, his brother stepping up to Gimli's other side. "Not to mention your father would be in fits if you came along," the blonde piped in.

Gimli simply scowled and shrugged off the brother's, stepping away from the trio. "I tell ye, this journey will not be the same without me!" he snapped, red in the face.

"No. It shall not," Ori said, small smile on his lips as he tugged Gimli into an unexpected hug, Fili and Kili piling on top with laughter.


	23. FIli and Kili, waiting

"Kili…"

"Unc'a said he'd be here before bed time."

Fili sighed at his younger brother's stalwart stubbornness. He shook his head a little, pulling on Kili's arm once more. "Yes, but it is already past bed time! Come on, Kee," he argued, only to take a startled step back when the smaller dwarfling managed to wrench himself free.

Kili turned to his brother with a determined expression on his face. "I wanna stay up to greet Unc'a!"

Fili sighed, putting his hands on his hips, much like their mother did when she became exasperated with her boys. Kili folded his arms over his chest, the raggedy looking stuffed lion that Thorin had gotten for Fili, then was passed to Kili hanging limply from the youngest's hand. Fili tipped his head back, before squaring a look at the little brunette.

"Alright, fine. But, I'm staying up with you."

Kili cheered, and hunked down next to the door, his brother sitting close by.

Dis giggled from her spot in the kitchen doorway when Thorin finally did managed to make his way home and very nearly tripped over the two little dwarflings huddled in sleep in the entryway.


	24. The Brothers Ri

Nori grunted as he swung his pack off, promptly dropping it into a heap just inside the door.

"Dori! I'm home!" Nori called out with a smirk, knowing how much the unnecessarily loud and obnoxious greeting grated on his brother's nerves.

"Nori?" Dori trundled down the stairs, pausing to stare at his brother in mild surprise. It had been years since the younger Ri brother had deemed to grace their family home with his presence. "What in the blue blazes are you doing here?!" he demanded after his moment of shock had worn away, smacking his hand into the banister, promptly causing the bundle on his back to squirm and began to fuss.

"What? A dwarf can't visit his home without reason now?" Nori asked, approaching his brother with curiosity.

"Not usually, unless you're trying to lay low from someone," Dori hissed, unhooking the baby sling from his back to draw the infant it held to his chest. "Hush now, little one. Sorry for startling you."

"What's this, then?" Nori crowed, looking over his brother's shoulder at the dwarfling thrashing in Dori's arms, "Finally got yourself a fancy little dwarf maiden knocked up?" He cackled as Dori went to take a swing at him, quickly stepping back.

"Of course not!" Dori snapped, holding the dwarfling closer to his chest, the babe taking the opportunity to tug at one of the silver clasps on his vest. "He is our brother."

"Brother?" Nori echoed, eyebrows arched in surprise.

"Yes, brother," Dori huffed, pulling the clasp from the child's grip, only to be rewarded with a wail of disapproval.

Nori clapped his hands together, looking around with a sharp glint in his eye. "All right, then. Where's the unlucky dwarf I get to intimidate over wooing our mother?"

Dori shook his head, drawing a confused look from his brother. "The dwarf that sired our baby brother is no longer with us. He was killed in a mining accident. And mother…She died of both a thrice broken heart in child birth."

Nori stared at his brother for a long time, searching for any sign of a lie in what he spoke. Finally he swallowed thickly, letting his gaze fall to the floor, hands clasped tight at his sides. When he managed to shake himself back into the present, he grinned widely, though it was strained at the edges.

"Well then," Nori crowed, scooping the babe out of Dori's arms, holding him up into the air to the great amusement of the child, and to Dori's chagrin, "Let's have a look at you, eh? Strong little thing, aren't you?" The child giggled as he managed to grab one of Nori's braids, and pulled.

"Nori-ah-will you not-you'll drop him!" Dori fussed chasing after Nori as the now middle child wandered farther into the house with the babe in his arms, swinging him this way and that, earning giggles the whole way.

"Nah, won't drop him," Nori chuckled, flopping into a kitchen chair, the dwarfling in his lap happily playing with the clasp from one of his braids. He glanced up as Dori carefully sat himself down across from his brother, the eldest's eyes trained on the child as he chewed on the silver clasp. "What's his name, then?"

"Ori."

"Ori? Ori. Hm. Welcome to the family, youngest of the brother's Ri," Nori declared, lifting Ori up above his head, the little one shrieking in delight, while Dori fussed at them both.


	25. Fili and Kili, height

Kili paused, very nearly dropping the basket of shopping he had slung over his arm. He blinked once, wondering if perhaps it was a trick of his eyes, but no. It definitely wasn't.

"Hurry up, Kili! I'm sure mother would like to have dinner on the table before the sun goes down," Fili called over his shoulder to his brother.

Kili grinned widely, before rushing over to his brother, grabbing his shoulders and promptly turning him around so they were facing one another.

"Kili! What-?" Fili snapped in shock, struggling only minutely before giving up and frowning at the younger.

"Fee! Haha! Do you see?" Kili asked, bouncing a little on the spot.

"Uh, no? What am I supposed to see?"

"I'm taller than you," Kili breathed, before letting out a whoop and scampering down the street, shopping in hand.


	26. Caylren inspired Guardian Bilbo AU

You should read this, before the following:  
caylren .deviantart art/Bagginshield-Guardian-361444652  
(remove spaces)

Bilbo growled in frustration, swirls of brilliant shades of red echoed in his aura as he flew in front of his charge, throwing his arms out to block the prince's path.

"You will not go out on this fools errand!" Bilbo snapped, his aura flaring up, causing his physical form to flicker.

Thorin paused in regard of his guardian, though he was loath to consider him such any longer. "Fools errand? We march for the glory of Erebor, and to reclaim our kins lost home!"

"You go for pride! And your own blasted stubbornness! You know nothing good will come of this venture!" Bilbo snapped in return, stomping his foot into the floor.

"Pride?! You call it pride to want to reclaim Moria from the filth that has desecrated it?! Stubbornness that has me wanting to fight along side my brother in battle? To ensure my people are well taken care of?!"

Bilbo simmered, dropping his hands back to his sides, glaring up at his charge, regarding him for the first time as the young adult he'd finally become. He tilted his head, before letting out a low breath, his form flickering, before disappearing entirely.

"I do not believe in your venture, and I doubt I ever shall. But I will keep you and yours safe, as is my duty," Bilbo's voice fluctuated around the room like a ghost's whisper.

Thorin took little notice of the shiver that went down his spine as he continued to pull on armor and strap his weapons to his person.


	27. iTunes Challenge, 5 more drabbles

me On-David Guetta & Nicki Minaj

Thorin sipped at his drink as he watched the dancer on stage swirl around the pole connected to the ceiling, the faintest hint of a frown on his face as lecherous patrons of the bar tried to grab at the dancer. The man on stage easily side-stepped every attempting hand, though it only seemed to spur the patrons on to try harder. Thorin scoffed at the security that was letting it happen.

" 'Nother drink for ya?" the bartender asked, tapping Thorin's shoulder with the neck of the bottle of whiskey the dark haired man had been drinking all night.

"Why is the security just letting that happen?" Thorin asked in lieu of answering the bartenders' question, leaning back on the bar.

"Hm? Oh, that…To be honest, I think the owner thinks that if he doesn't make the patrons keep to their seats, he'll make more money. Thinks that letting the boys touch will keep 'em coming back, rather than have 'em going off to other bars. Load of shit, if you ask me. Putting the poor lads up as easy targets, s'all he's doin'. It's horrible," the bartender supplied, anger obvious in his voice. This made Thorin turn and regard the man behind the bar in curiosity. He was an average man, with a long, curled moustache and a set of braids hanging over his shoulders.

"You seem awfully adamant about that, for someone who works here," Thorin pointed out, tipping his glass to be refilled.

The bartender snorted, pouring the other his drink. "Yeah, well. When the bills need to be paid, y'know? I get my brother and cousin to help make sure the lads are safe at the end of the night, though. Since, y'know, the security guards are only for show."

Thorin hummed, extending his hand towards the bartender. "Thorin Oakensheild. I'm planning on buying this place and kicking the current owner to the curb with not but the shirt on his back."

The bartender grinned, shaking Thorin's hand. "Bofur. The lad on stage is Bilbo, and I'm fairly certain he's going to be ecstatic to hear that."

and Bobby McGee-Janis Joplin

Bilbo grinned as he strummed on the guitar in his lap, feet propped up on the dashboard as Thorin sped down the freeway.

"How much farther to get to your sister's place?" Bilbo asked, causing Thorin to startle out of whatever daze he'd gotten himself into while staring at the road.

"Hm? Oh, ah, about another day or so," Thorin supplied, absently drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

Bilbo nodded, turning back to his guitar, more than happy to accompany his boyfriend anywhere and everywhere on his mad dash to keep out of the hands of The Man. The War had nothing to do with them, and Bilbo had managed to convince Thorin to run away with him, flower painted van and all.

People- Prozzak

Bilbo sighed to himself as he stared out the window, typewriter half-forgotten in front of him. He let his glasses slide down from the bridge of his nose, while surely leaving a stupendous red mark on his cheek where it was resting in the palm of his hand. He watched the clouds roll by dazedly, his mind nowhere near his current place in time.

No, it was far, far away, in a land of his own creation. With wizards and dragons, magical adventures, dwarves and goblins, and massive, bloody battles for the greater good. Where a steadfast little hobbit would help a dwarf king rescue a long lost kingdom of gold from the maw of a ferocious dragon.

Bilbo jerked out of his revere at the insistent tapping of a little bird at his window.

if I Do Ya (Damned if I don't)-All Time Low

Thorin wiped his hands clean on a fresh rag, smearing car grease and oil across its once pristine surface. He gave the engine he'd been working on one last glance over, before nodding to himself and slamming the hood shut with a quiet grunt. He sighed happily, turning to get himself a soda from the cooler when he caught sight of him.

Bilbo was strutting down the street, arm in arm with someone who was not Thorin. The dark haired mechanic growled under his breath, crushing the rag in his fist as Bilbo giggled at whatever his new boyfriend said. It made Thorin's blood boil.

What only made it worse was the fact that he knew it was his own fault that Bilbo was more than content with someone else. Not that he hadn't tried to get back together after their less than amicable break-up, but it was all for not.

Bilbo was happy, and Thorin was miserable, but that was simply how it had to be, wasn't it?

All Your Friends-My Chemical Romance

Thorin swallowed thickly as the ship slowly approached the docks of the gray havens, very nearly hiding behind the rest of his company. Not that he'd ever admit to hiding, of course. And he most certainly didn't make sure to duck behind Dwalin when the ship's passengers began to disembark. No, never.

He did, however, watch with more than a little guilt and regret as Bilbo rushed into the arms of the other dwarves, tears running down his cheeks as he declared how much he'd missed everyone. And it was only once Bilbo was finally done hugging and crying all over everyone that Thorin cleared his throat to let the Halfling know of his presence.

He didn't shrink back a step when the hobbit finally took notice of him, and did not drop his gaze to the ground when he was approached. He did fall to one knee, while taking Bilbo's hand in his own, however, gazing up at the Halfling, hoping that his regret could be read on his face.

"Thorin," Bilbo murmured, his hand all but limp in the King's hand.

"Bilbo," the once King under the Mountain returned, squeezing the hobbit's small hand a bit. "I-I am aware that we did not part on the best of terms," his voice most certainly didn't waver with emotion, "but I am hoping that I can try and make up for my most grievous of misjudgements and errors. If you will, of course, permit me to do so."

Bilbo stared at Thorin for a good long minute, almost driving the poor dwarf to despair, before the halfing grinned widely, and let out a chorus of laughter. "Of course, Thorin! Of course," he said, his voice tapering off into a whisper, cupping the King's upturned face in his hand, before drawing his up for a gentle kiss.


	28. Music Inspired-Fem Bilbo, Mary

Bilbo cradled her stomach while staring out the foggy window of her cabin, a light frown gracing her lips as the window fogged up further with her breath. She reached up to wipe away the condensation, pausing for a moment when she noticed the tiny frost crystals starting to form near the edges of the window. She stared at the delicate curves as they formed,m only jerking out of her revere when a quiet cough came from behind her.

She turned her head to find Gandalf standing in the doorway to her cabin, the faintest hint of a sad smile on his face. "You do not have to go so far, you know."

Bilbo shook her head, gently rubbing her belly with a bitter smile. "I cannot go back to the Shire, for the babe will surely be scorned for being out of wedlock, mixed-bred, and simply being mine. And I cannot return to Erebor, for even if Thorin knew of what became of our coupling he would surely call me a liar and toss me right back out. Where else is there for me to go? I am certainly not about to go back to Dale, Laketown or Mahal forbid, Mirkwood. No, Rivendell is my best bet. For both my own well being, and the raising of this child."

Gandalf sighed, leaning on his staff as he regarded the little hobbit lass as she turned her attentions back towards the frosty glass window. He knew he could talk no sense into the stubborn girl when she'd set her mind to something, so his only hope was to beat a little sense into the dwarf king's head.

-

"Uncle Thorin!" Fili called, raven perched on his shoulder and letter in hand. The king looked up from his paperwork to regard his nephew.

"What is it?" he asked bluntly, watching as Fili gave the raven a small offering of bacon, before setting it on it's way and approaching the desk.

"News from Gandalf," the blonde supplied, handing over the parchment. "The raven bid me to bring this to you, and make sure you read it and not leave it for another day." Fili chuckled, "I suppose the wizard knows you well."

"When there is a kingdom to be rebuilt, one can hardly blame me for putting off paltry communications." He took the letter from Fili, giving his nephew one last huff of annoyance at the fact that he was obviously not going to be left alone until he'd read the letter, before opening it and scanning the words written.

Fili took a small step back at the sudden agitation his uncle began to show the further he got in the letter, before flinching when the parchment was roughly slammed into the table.

"This is a lie!" Thorin roared, shoving away from the table and stomping off towards his balcony.

Fili took the opportunity to snatch up the letter to read it for himself, eyes growing wide as he did so. "Uncle," he breathed, looking up to find the King out in the mid-day sun, head bowed and eyes closed. "You, this-"

"I am aware. And it can only be a lie! There is no way she could be carrying a babe after but one time together. And she would not run to find aid among our enemy when she knew she would be welcomed back here," Thorin groused, looking up and towards the horizon, arms folded over his chest.

"But did she, Uncle?" Fili asked quietly, placing the letter back down on the table. "After all, you were quite adamant about never seeing her face again. I do believe you even declare that you would run her through if she ever came near Erebor again."

The king turned to find his nephew glaring whole-heartedly at him, making him pausing in shock for a moment. "Of course she would know! It is our child she carries! I would not scorn such a duty-"

"Duty?" Fili's laugh was ugly. "Uncle, a child! A gift like that is no mere duty! She is carrying your true heir. A child that is of the line of Durin, and who will now be raised by elves and never know of it's birthright because you were too stubborn to see what it's mother was trying, and succeeded in doing, for our people! For you!" He slammed his open palm on the table, shaking his uncle into moving forward.

"She betrayed my trust, and lied to us-"

"No! She did what she knew was the only way around your pride, in order to save us all from a far worse fate! We all knew and saw it, but none of us wanted to say anything, but now. Now, Uncle Thorin," Fili paused, turning away from his uncle, "Now there is a child who is fatherless to think of, and I will no longer hold my tongue. Bilbo is part of our company, and everyone else will know of what has become of her. I will not stand idly by, even if you choose to."

With that, the young prince left his uncle to stew over what he'd been told.

-

Bilbo was startled some six months later, when she was so round she looked as if she may burst at any moment, by the appearance of several jovial dwarves in her doorway.

"Boys!" she chirped, holding her arms out as Fili and Kili rushed forward to give her a hug, the hobbit having been confined to her bed for the better part of the last week. "Goodness," she muttered, quiet tears streaking down her cheeks, "Look at me. Such a mess. The things a baby make you do." She laughed, wiping at her eyes as Fili and Kili moved away, making room for Bofur and Ori to take their places.

After hugging Dori, Oin, and Balin respectively, she sniffed, and blew her nose in her handkerchief, tutting at herself, before beaming at the small group before her.

"Whatever are you lot doing here?" she asked, smiling happily as Kili snuggled up beside her on the bed, resting her head on his offered shoulder.

"We heard about the babe," Fili offered, glancing at the others, before turning back to Bilbo. "Gandalf sent Uncle a letter. I tried to convince him he was being a clot, but…Well. Everyone wishes you the best of luck in birth, and congratulations, of course, even if they could not come."

Bilbo sighed, reaching out to pat Fili's arm. "I do appreciate you trying, Fili," she sighed, batting half-heartedly at Kili as he began to try braiding her hair, "Though I will have to have words with Gandalf about sharing my personal business when I asked him not to." She huffed, letting Kili do as he pleased with her hair, before smiling at the group before her. "However, I am immensely glad you all ventured here to see me."

-

Bilbo screamed as the contraction hit, crushing poor Kili's hand in her own as Oin tittered about with bottles and bowls of herbs and potions to help with the pain, Lord Elrond himself at the end of her bed to help deliver the baby.

Those in the room, save Bilbo, gave pause when a sudden ruckus came from just outside the doors. Elrond barely glanced over his shoulder, and Kili tore his eyes away to focus on the hobbit currently crushing every bone in his hand when she screamed again. Oin, however, set the bowl he'd been carrying down to watch the door curiously.

"I must get through!"

"What business do you have here?!"

"That is my CHILD being born!"

And with a final shout, the doors to Bilbo's chambers burst open, and Thorin stormed in, the guards that had been trying to keep him back looking battered and bruised.

Elrond did pause at this, turning to arch an eyebrow at the dwarf king, before Bilbo screamed again.

"Baby, Babybaby! Arg, get the baby out of her before I can no longer use my hand!" Kili snapped, glaring daggers at both the Elf Lord and the Dwarf King as Bilbo wailed again.

Elrond nodded and went back to work, though Thorin gave pause, the tip on his sword hitting the floor with a quiet, metallic clink just as the wails of a baby began to sound throughout the room.

"There we are," Elrond cooed, wrapping the babe in a blanket before showing Bilbo the squirming bundle, "Your baby daughter."

"She's perfect," Bilbo gasped, tired smile on her sweat and tear streaked face.

Elrond turned to take the babe to the wash basin to be cleaned when he caught Thorin's curious gaze. "Your daughter," the elf murmured, tipping the bundle so Thorin could look upon the face of his child.

The king swallowed back his tears as the elf Lord moved away to clean the babe, not daring to move from his spot, now that his adrenaline had passed, and the babe was born, he wasn't sure if he was even welcome to be in the hobbit's presence.

"Come here, old man," Kili teased, finally pulling his hand free of Bilbo's grasp, and leaning in to kiss the tired hobbit lass on the forehead. "Well done, and congratulations."

Bilbo smiled up at Kili, before turning her gaze to Thorin as he approached the bed, tired smile never faltering.

"Bilbo, I-"

"Hush now," Bilbo murmured as Elrond brought their daughter back to her, and placed her in her mother's arms. "There's time for 'I'm sorry's' and repentance later. For now, just come cuddle me and met your daughter."


	29. Dragon Tamer AU number 6

"What the-?" Bilbo nearly walked straight into Ori when the young dwarf stopped in the middle of the path, causing the hobbit to look around to find the rest of the company had stopped as well. He frowned, stepping around the youngest to see what they were all staring at.

"What's all this now?" Bilbo huffed, hands on his hips as he walked to the front of the group where Thorin and Gandalf stood, gasping at the sight he found there.

"Bilbo," Gandalf murmured, putting a hand on the hobbit's shoulder as the halfling took a tentative step forward.

There, laid across the path, was a dragon with scales that could rival emeralds in vibrant color. It was obvious it had been slain and left to rot, by the arrows protruding from the thin flesh of it's wings, and the bloody slashes across it's neck.

"Come now, halfling," Thorin said, catching Bilbo by the elbow, "I'm sure it was self defense."

"No," the hobbit said quietly, pulling free of the others grip to walk forward, laying a hand on the dead dragon's snout. "This is a guardian of the forest," he said, swiping his fingers over the delicate curl of the dragon's horns, "A rather calm species of earth dragon. They are wary of travelers, for their scales are softer than their cousins of the south, and their wings are thinner, since they rarely fly much higher than the tops of the trees. No, this dragon was not killed out of self defense. There is a dragon slayer out here."

Thorin looked to Gandalf, who shook his head the slightest, making the dwarf king stay his tongue. They all knew well that Thorin would happily aid the slayer in his or her quest to rid middle earth of dragons, but he knew it was best to keep those thoughts to himself around Bilbo. Besides, he was also starting to understand what the halfling saw in the beasts.

"I wonder if there were other dragons in this forest," Kili piped up from behind his uncle, Bo wrapped neatly around his shoulders, looking agitated at the sight of it's fallen kin.

"Possibly," Bilbo murmured, finally stepping back from the corpse. "If there were, they would not be very close by. However, there could be a nest." At that the hobbit paused, glancing between the dragon and Thorin, before setting a determined look upon his face.

"If there is a nest, we need to find it. Now," he said, in a tone that brokered no room for argument.

"Why should we waste our time? Durin's day grows closer," THorin huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because if there are eggs, they will die without the heat of a parent!" Bilbo snapped, glaring at the dwarf king, and damning his stubbornness.

"If uncle does not want to help look, perhaps the company can move on, and we can search?" offered Kili, stepping up next to the hobbit. "We can easily catch up, if there are only the two of us, and that way no time is lost in our journey."

Thorin looked at his nephew with mild suspicion, before nodding his approval at the proposition. "Fine. Stay with the hobbit and help him look. Take no more than two days before you move to catch up to us. We will meet up with you in Laketown."

Kili nodded, a grin on his face as the company marched by, Fili stopping momentarily to tug his brother into a tight embrace. "Do not make us worry," the blonde said, patting the brunette on the shoulder, before heading off with the others.

"Why would you chose to help me?" Bilbo asked some time later as Kili cut through the underbrush and they trudged off the beaten path.

The younger Durin heir turned to smile widely at Bilbo while shrugging his shoulders, the lindwyrm on his shoulders flaring its wings out at the movement. "Because I find dragons to be, honestly, quite fascinating," he admitted, slicing through a low hanging vine.

"Please, don't tell Uncle Thorin, but…I wouldn't mind becoming a tamer myself, one day. I know, as a dwarf of Erebor, I should abhor dragons with all of my being, but I find myself drawn to them every time we happen across one on our journey. Even when I thought that water drake was going to eat me for lunch, I still found her to be beautiful, if a bit terrifying at the time. And her babes were actually pretty adorable, all truth told. Uncle and the other older dwarves only remember the desolation Smaug laid to our home, and the terror they felt in his wake. They never get the chance to see what we have on this journey. The softer side of these beasts. They can hardly be blamed, of course, what with all the horns and fire and such, it's hard to see that side of dragons, but. I would certainly like to. Perhaps you'd be willing to teach me?"

Bilbo stared after the young prince, not noticing how far the other had ultimately gotten ahead of him. "You want me to teach you the ways of a tamer?" he asked in disbelief, causing Kili to finally turn to see how far the hobbit had gotten behind.

"Well, yes. I have no duty to Erebor, other than perhaps aid my brother and Uncle when they need me, and that can easily be done between lessons. Again, if-if you'll teach me," Kili said, demurring slightly as he went on.

Bilbo beamed, clapping Kili on the arm in excitement. "Of course! Of course, I'd be more than happy to teach you! If there were more like you, young prince, I'm certain we would have a better understanding of our flying friends."

Kili smiled brightly and Bilbo chuckled, before a glimmer caught his eye. "Kili, look!" the hobbit cried, rushing forward to brush away vines and leaves to reveal the nest they'd been searching for.

"Just one egg," Kili murmured as he stepped up next to the hobbit as Bilbo scooped the egg up into his arms.

"Yes. And it's getting cold. Scavengers probably came for the rest. Clutches usually don't number less than five, so, we're lucky to have found this one at all," Bilbo said, holding the shiny green and brown egg out for Kili to take.

"Poor thing," the prince murmured as he carefully placed the egg inside his jacket, cradling it to his chest for warmth.

"Mm. Come now. We must set up camp and build a fire. If we can get it hot enough, and the timing is right, we should be able to get it to hatch within these next two days. Then we can catch up to the rest," Bilbo said, ushering Kili back towards a clearing they had passed along their way.

-

"Bilbo!" Kili gasped, dropping the stick he'd been using to prod at the fire to keep the flames high while watching the egg. A hairline crack had formed along one side, the egg giving a tiny tremble.

"Such good timing," Bilbo hummed, clapping his hands together while leaning over to take a better look at the egg. They had been waiting and hoping over the last day and a half that the egg would hatch. If they could not get it to this night, they would have to abandon hope, and the egg as well, otherwise chance not making it to meet up with the company in time.

The hobbit hustled around the camp site, gathering a bowl of water, and a couple of blankets, before placing a hand on the eager prince's shoulder, giving him a gentle smile.

"When the egg breaks open, the hatchling will cause the bits of shell to go flying, and may cause a fire, so I'll be busy making sure nothing gets lit aflame. What I need you to do is douse the fire once you are sure it is free, and quickly wrap it in a blanket. Keep it close to your chest, and make sure not to cover its head," Bilbo instructed, Kili nodding along, while eyeing the fire as more cracks appeared on the egg.

"Wait," Kili turned to Bilbo with wide eyes, panic easily found there, "Shouldn't you be the one to pull it from the fire?! What if I hurt it! And didn't you say dragon's imprint?! I can't, Bilbo-"

"Kili," Bilbo snapped, grabbing the dwarf around the shoulders and giving him a quick shake as an ominous crack came from the fire, "All tamers need to start somewhere, do they not? Consider this your first lesson."

-

"What is that?" Thorin scowled at his nephew and the hobbit as they approached the group, a grin splitting Kili's face, while a proud one sat on Bilbo's.

"This is Gunnar!" Kili declared, holding the tiny green dragon up like a proud father, grinning from ear to ear as the hatchling squeaked in an attempt at roaring, puffing a tiny cloud of smoke in Thorin's direction.

"Gunnar," Thorin deadpanned, arching an eyebrow at Bilbo, who simply shrugged.

"No fair," Fili grumbled, poking the hatchling in the belly, causing it to squawk and wriggle in the younger prince's hands. "How come you get a baby dragon?"

Kili simply chuckled and cuddled the hatchling to his chest while Fili cooed over it, Ori quickly scrambling over to ask if he could sketch it.


	30. Durin Family, mother and son

"Oh."

"What is it, mother?"

Fili watched curiously as his mother smiled and rubbed her stomach, before beckoning the dwarfling over. "Come here, and I'll show you," Dis said, sitting in her favored rocking chair.

Fili inched forward, before climbing up into his mother's lap, mindful of her growing belly. He gave her an odd look as she lifted his hand and placed it near the side of her stomach and held it there. He nearly jerked and fell right out of her lap when he felt a definite hit against the palm of his hand.

"Mother-?"

Dis laughed at her sons amazement, releasing his hand and letting him simply stare at her stomach. "It's the baby saying hello."

The blonde dwarfling blinked up at his mother for a moment, before leaning in towards her stomach with a tentative smile, and whispered a quiet 'hello to you, as well', to her belly.


	31. Draon Tamer AU number 7

Bilbo huffed quietly as he shifted the way his pack was resting across his back, Bo squawking at him from atop his head for jostling her around. "Oh, hush," he grumbled, leaning on his walking stick a little so he could catch his breath.

The company had been moving through the rocky mountain pass for a day or so now, and Bilbo was really quite done with the jagged terrain and constant uphill climbing. Not that he'd say a word, of course. The last thing he needed was to add 'whiner' to the long list of less than stellar nicknames he'd picked up since he'd begun on this blasted journey.

"Hurry up now, Bilbo," Bofur said, hitting Bilbo's shoulder lightly as he passed by him, "Mustn't have you lagging behind!"

"Yes, that'd be such a shame," Bilbo grumbled, rolling his eyes once Bofur had gone ahead. He huffed out a final breath, before making a move to start walking again when he noticed a few pebbles tumble past his toes. He frowned lightly, glancing up towards the cliffs they'd fallen from, for a moment chalking it up to weather shifting the stones. Until he saw it.

"Thorin!" Bilbo shouted, forgoing keeping quiet when he saw the swish of a tail, and the glimmer of a talon, "RUN!"

Thorin turned to look back over the company at the hobbit who had been bringing up the rear with a frown, while opening his mouth to ask why, when there was an ominous roar from the cliffs not far above where they were walking. The king looked up in time to see a dragon that almost appeared to be made of stone spread its wings and leap into the sky.

"MOVE!" he shouted at the rest of the dwarves who had begun to look around at the commotion, turning to take the lead through the pass in hopes of finding somewhere to escape the flying beast above.

With a deafening screech, the dragon swooped down at the company, a well timed swing of Dwalin's hammer deterring it from snatching Ori up into the air, and causing the beast to fly back up towards the cliffs.

"Quickly! Here!" Thorin shouted at his company, motioning for them to duck into a cave he'd managed to find, Orcrist drawn and ready for if the dragon came at them while they tried to escape.

The dragon swooped at the company once more before they'd all managed to run into the cave, this time Fili being it's target, and only just being deflected by a swing of Kili's sword, several dull grey scales being sheered from the dragon's foot when it had clipped the blonde dwarf's shoulder.

"Make it leave," Thorin demanded once Bilbo had run through the opening of the cave, followed by a short burst of whispy flames.

The hobbit shot the king a glare, wiping soot from his waist coat, before reaching up to check and make sure Bo was unharmed. "You must be joking," he huffed at the dwarf, stroking his fingers along Bo's wings.

"Of course not. You are a tamer, correct? Go tame that beast so we may move on," the king groused, the rest of the company rising up in a quick cacophony of complaints and agreements to their leaders words.

Bilbo looked around at them with a scowl, before settling on Thorin. "That, Oh King," he began, words dripping with venomous sarcasm, "Is what we like to call a Stone Dragon. They live in the mountains, virtually undisturbed, since they blend so well with their surroundings, as I am sure you witnessed today. It is lucky that their flames are so weak, since they are vicious creatures, covered in spikes and talons hard as diamonds. As such, they are not easily, if ever, reasoned with. Let alone tamed. Unless you hatch one, they will inevitably try to eat you! And you really wish for me to go out there and _tame_ it in a matter of minutes?!"

A blast of flame at the entrance of the cave caused the dwarves to move further back into the cave, but only seemed to cement Bilbo's agitation.

"I know you may think me worthless on your little escapade, but I do not appreciate you practically making me dispensable in hopes that it will quicken your quest!"

"Surely you don't believe I would send you out there, knowing those facts?" Thorin asked, becoming equally as angered as Bilbo, standing up to his full height to loom over the hobbit.

"That dragon is blowing fire at the entrance of this cave, and your nephews shoulder is bleeding because it nearly ripped his arm off. And you are demanding I go out there, right this instant, to calm it and tame it, so you can move on. Even not knowing the facts I just told you, you were willing to have me run a fools errand and get myself killed! You do not think, Thorin Oakenshield, you simply act! You are an insufferable idiot of a dwarf, and we are not leaving this cave until that dragon grows weary and either leaves or falls asleep, and that is that!"

And with that Bilbo stomped his foot into the cold stone floor of the cave, stormed over to the farthest point in the cave away from the King, and huddled into himself, Bo settled in his lap and puffing smoke towards Thorin.


	32. iTunes Challenge, number 3

Slean-Out in the Park

Fili scowled at his books while raking his fingers through his already disheveled hair. He'd been working on his essay for hours now without break, and it was truly beginning to grate on the poor man's nerves. He let out a frustrated shout, knocking his books onto the floor, before flopping back into his chair with a heavy sigh. He swivelled himself gently back and forth in his desk chair for a moment, before turning to the t.v and flicking on some non-descript infomercial that happened to be on whatever channel he'd been watching last.

"Fili! I'm back!" chirped a most cheerful voice from the front hallway, followed shortly by the sound of footsteps tromping through the tiny apartment and pausing just outside the door to his office.

The blonde glanced up to find his brother grinning at him widely, cheeks flushed from the chill of the brisk fall wind. He had to smile at the quiet pants his younger brother was emitting from riding his bike home and running up two flights of stairs. Not to mention the several multi-coloured leaves that were tangled in his mane of messy brown locks, and the fact he hadn't even taken his coat off yet.

"Fret not, brother mine," Kili hummed, walking across the room and upending the bag he'd been carrying onto Fili's desk, "I made sure to get the double stuffed oreo's. Only the best for you."

-For Tomorrow

"FILI!"

"Keep down!"

Fili shoved Kili back down, firing off the gun in his hand a few times, before ducking back down as his shots were returned.

"Do you have anymore extra cartridges?" Kili asked nervously, flinching when a shot zipped just over his shoulder, causing him to duck further down.

Fili looked down at his belt, touching the single extra battery pack he had for his gun. "Just one," he muttered, even though Kili could see it plain as day, "You have anymore for yours?"

Kili sighed, shaking his head. "Down to my last one," he said, holding up his battered gun, the barrel burnt badly, and the display showing only half a battery's worth of charge left.

"Well," the blonde said, giving his brother a wavering grin, holding his pistol up, "Shall we go out with a bang, at least?"

Kili swallowed thickly, before nodding at his brother, returning his grin with a cheeky one of his own, before the brothers vaulted out from their hiding place.

-Any Other World

Kili deflected another arrow with his sword, standing as strong as he could with the sword wound in his thigh, and the slide of orc blood beneath his boots.

"Kee," a weak voice murmured, coupled with a tug on his pant leg.

"I'm not leaving you!" he snapped, slicing down another goblin that tried to get at the dwarf laying on the ground.

"Kee, please."

"No!" Kili turned to shout down at his brother, gasping at the sharp slide and sting of a blade cutting through his side.

The blonde at his feet stared up at him with wide, red rimmed eyes, tears freely rolling down his cheeks. "Kee…"

Kili fell to his knees, his sword clattering to the ground as he choked, and collapsed next to his brother.

"M'sorry, Fee," he murmured, clutching at his brothers hand.

"Shhh…"

"N-no, I'm sorry. I couldn't, I couldn't-"

"Kili-"

"Fee!"

"Wake-up!"

Kili jerked awake in his bed, panting a bit as he took in his surroundings. He let his fingers tangle in his sheets, the soft blue glow of his alarm clock lighting up his room just enough to make out the worried eyes of his brother staring down at him.

"You okay, Kee?" the blonde asked, brushing a bit of hair from his brothers sweaty brow.

"Yeah. Yeah, just a nightmare," Kili murmured with a sigh, smiling lightly at his brother, before pulling him into a hug.

Allen-Littlest Things

Kili giggled, flailing his arms in his brothers oversized shirt, very nearly falling over with the motion.

"Kee," Fili laughed, steadying his little brother, only to be pulled down as well when the brunette purposely fell to the floor, resulting in a short wrestle-match. It ended, of course, with Kili being pinned, and the shirt being pulled over his head to be replaced in the drawer it had come from.

"Don't worry, Kili," Fili laughed, ruffling the younger Durin's hair, before settling down to braid it out of the youngers face, "One day you'll grown up into a big strong Dwarf, just like me."

Kili sniggered, tilting his head to allow Fili better access. "I know! And I'll get to stand by your side when you're King and everyone gets to see how awesome you are."

"Of course. Where would I be without my most loyal and honorable brother?"

~

Kili felt tears well up in his eyes as his brother practically ghosted by him in the hall, not a word or glance exchanged between them. Between the pressures of ruling a kingdom, and producing an heir, the brothers had barely had a moment to themselves in years. And Fili's gaze slowly stopped searching him out in a crowd. His voice stopped calling out his brother's name. He soon stopped asking for his opinions in court. And thus, Kili fell into the background.

Dragons-Radioactive

Kili laughed, switching the gear on his bike as he flew over the broken remains of what may have once been a stretch of highway, his shouts and laughter becoming lost in the desert. "Hurry up, slow poke!" he shouted back at his brother, whooping loudly as he rocketed off a slope, throwing his arms up into the air as his bike sored for a minute, before grabbing hold as his tired skidding, and he swung out to a stop.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Fili said, though there was a smile in his voice as he drove up to stop next to his brother, tugging his goggles and bandana off his face.

"Hey, at least my death this way will be more exciting than dying of thirst or being gunned down by a patrol," Kili said with a shrug, revving his bike, before taking off ahead of his brother once more.

Fili rolled his eyes, before replacing his goggles and bandana, taking off after his brother, if only to make sure he didn't kill himself by attracting the attention of a passing patrol with his enthusiastic hollering.


	33. FemBilbo, 1950's AU

Bilbo sighed and fixed her skirt as the old black Cadillac rolled up to the drive-in.

"Oh, it's the Durin boys," one of the other waitresses tittered, flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder as Bilbo simply rolled her eyes. She could see the appeal in the well worn leather jackets and tight jeans the little gang wore, not to mention their 'bad boy' reputation. That didn't mean she bought into it, though.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your legs closed, Lobelia," Bilbo huffed, making sure her notebook and pen were in her belt pockets, "They're in one of my lots." She smirked at the indignant look the other girl gave her, mockingly twirling her fingers through her curly pigtails, before snorting and roller skating over to the drivers side window.

"Welcome to The Shire Drive-In," Bilbo said in her well-rehearsed customers only voice, "What can I get for you boys?"

The boys in the car were well-known to her, even if she had never spoken to any of them directly. Thorin Durinson sat in the drives seat, the self-appointed leader of their little group, and next to him sat his right hand man, Dwalin Fundinson. In the backseat, bickering over what appeared to be a comb were Fili and Kili, Thorin's younger cousins, and squashed between them was a rather exasperated looking Balin, Dwalin's older brother who Bilbo had heard was only in town for a couple of weeks during the summer to take a vacation from college.

"Well," Dwalin interrupted her train of thought, making her jerk and dig her notebook and pen from her pockets, "For starters, we'd most definitely wouldn't say no to you." He leered at her, making Bilbo scrunch up her nose. If she weren't working, she would've slapped him.

She was saved from the violent daydreams in her head, however, when Thorin promptly jabbed Dwalin in the ribs with his elbow, and shot his friend a glare over the rim of his sunglasses. "Sorry," he said quickly as Dwalin grunted and rubbed at his chest, "He's actually house trained, I swear."

This earned him a cheeky grin from Bilbo, and a quiet giggle. "I'm sure," she said, smirking at the indignant look Dwalin shot Thorin. "Regardless, though, I really do need to know your order."

"Right. Uh, two cheeseburgers for the two dunderheads in the backseat, a fully loaded burger for the house pet, an order or fries for Balin, a strawberry milkshake for me, and if I'm not being too forward, maybe your number?" Thorin smirked, sliding his sunglasses up into his slicked back coif, "I promise I won't let the dog eat it."

"Enough of the mutt references, already," Dwalin grunted, punching Thorin in the shoulder, which made the younger boy laugh, swatting his friend away.

"I'll tack a 'please' onto that, for proprieties sake," Thorin added, leaning against the car door and smiling charmingly up at Bilbo.

Bilbo arched an eyebrow at the greaser's forward request, a playful smile on her lips. "Well, I can guarantee all the food," she said, jotting the order down in her notebook, "You'll have to wait and see about the phone number." And with that, she skated away, pink poodle skirt swirling around her legs as she went.

"Shot down in flames," Kili crowed from the back seat, his brother cackling along next to him.

"We'll see about that," Thorin said, sliding his sun glasses back over his eyes as Bilbo skated back out to their car with their tray.

"Enjoy," she said, latching the tray onto the window of Thorin's car, flashing the greaser a smirk, before heading back to the little bar where all the waitresses were loitering about.

"Well?" Dwalin asked, taking his burger from Thorin as he dolled out the food.

Thorin looked at his receipt, then at the napkins, flipping through them quickly, before slumping in his seat and chewing on his straw petulantly.

"All me to reiterate," Kili laughed, "Shot down in flames!"

"You gave it a good go," Balin said, patting Thorin on the shoulder.

Thorin sighed, scowling at the dash of his car as he drank his milkshake.

"Oh, I almost forgot," a voice chirped from next to the drivers window, making Thorin look up into the mischievous blue eyes of one Bilbo Baggins herself. She held out a short slip of paper, which Thorin took with a confused eyebrow arch. Bilbo laughed, picking up their tray and winking at the greaser, skating backwards a little. "The last part of your order."

Thorin would have grinned if he weren't in front of half of his crew. He settled for a pleased smirk as Bilbo skated away, peeking at the number scrawled across the piece of paper, before carefully tucking it into the breast pocket of his jacket.


	34. Ur family, Before the accident

"COUSIN BIFUR IS HERE!"

Childish laughter rang through the small house as the door was shut firmly behind the dark haired toy maker, a small grin spreading across his face at the pitter-patter of dwarfling feet that were racing down the steps.

"Cousin!" cheered the taller of the two resident children, bounding off the last stair and into the waiting arms of the elder dwarf.

"Woah there, little one," Bifur chuckled, propping little Bofur up onto his shoulder as the younger of the two toddled down the final stair, a gap-toothed grin on his round face.

"Hello," Bombur said, offering up a biscuit to their elder cousin, "Ma said to save one for you."

Bifur chuckled and took the biscuit, before scooping up the ginger dwarfling, and propping him up on the opposite shoulder to his brother. "I thank ye for that, little one," he said, bouncing the two on his shoulders as he walked down the hallway, "I do know how you favor your Ma's biscuits."

"Did you bring us anything?" chirped Bofur, arms flung around the elder's head, grinning as he was bounced around, the over-sized hat his father had given him flopping down over his eyes.

"And if I did?" Bifur hummed cryptically, "What of it?"

"Bifurrrrr," Bofur whined loudly, giggling as the elder dwarf bounced him high enough to swing him around and toss him into the air, before catching him and settling him on his feet.

"Now, now. Not until after I say good morn' to your Ma. Must always mind out manners, shouldn't we?" Bifur said, arching an eyebrow at the older of the brothers, before setting Bombur down. Bofur simply sighed loudly, but nodded, and gestured vaguely towards the kitchen.

"Ma said to tell you to go out to the garden, 'cause that's where she'd be," he stated boredly, obviously having had to rehearse the words for his mother, until she was pleased.

"And then, may we know what you've got?" Bombur piped up, pulling another biscuit from his pocket and nibbling on it.

Bifur grinned at the two, leaning down to ruffle their respective hair. "If yer good, maybe."

A loud, groaned 'awwww' followed Bifur out the back door.


	35. (Onesided) BofurThorin

Bofur sighed as he rolled the tiny silver hair bead between his fingers, watching the fine engravings and inlaid stones glimmer in the reflected light of the fire.

"Bofur?"

The dwarf jerked slightly as he was startled out of his revere, lifting his head to stare at Bilbo, who was shuffling his feet awkwardly at having surprised the other dwarf. Bofur quickly let his usual smile fall across his lips, cocking his head slightly at the hobbit. "What can I do for ya, master Baggins?"

Bilbo wrung his hands for a moment, before moving to sit next to the toy maker. "Terribly sorry for startling you," he began, offering the other a somewhat bashful smile, "I hadn't realized how far away you were. I simply came to ask if there was something wrong. You looked rather melancholy."

Bofur blinked in mild surprise at the hobbit, before his smile became a little more genuine, and he slung an arm around the other's shoulders, a quick chuckle escaping his lips. "Worry not, master Baggins," he hummed, slipping the little bead into his pocket, "I was simply off in my own little world. Thinking of reclaiming Erebor and the likes, ye know." It was only a small lie.

Bilbo watched Bofur for a long moment, brow furrowed in a frown. "Are you most certain?" the hobbit inquired, chewing on his lip, "Because I've seen that look on the faces of my little nieces and nephews, and it usually leads to them complaining to me about something they've lost, or have yet to acquire."

"Indeed? And what sorts of things might little hobbits loose and miss that make 'em have odd looks on their faces?"

Bilbo rolled his eyes at the dwarf's jovial tone, reaching up to tug on one of Bofur's hat flaps. "Love."

Bofur's grin immediately vanished, and he let his arm slip from the hobbit's shoulders. "Yer getting to be a bit too keen in yer watching, master Baggins," he murmured, lacing his fingers together in his lap.

"Perhaps. But I find it to be terribly useful in the cases where I do not wish to see my friends look so miserable," Bilbo said, putting a hand on Bofur's shoulder. "So, tell me. Who has your heart and mind in such a state?"

Bofur sighed and dug the hair bead back out of his pocket, holding it so Bilbo could see. There was no point in lying to the hobbit at this point, since he'd just poke and prod at him or wait and watch until he found out. "Thorin," he muttered, dropping the bead into the hobbit's outstretched hand.

Bilbo made an appreciative noise at the hair bead, holding it up in the light of the fire to get a better look at it, before nearly dropping it into the dirt. "Th-thorin?!" he sputtered, causing Bofur to shush him and glance around the camp quickly to make sure no one was trying to listen in.

"Aye! What of it?" Bofur hissed, snatching the bead back and looking offended.

Bilbo held up a placating hand, before waving them both back and forth, as if that would erase the words that had left his mouth. "No! No, no. I didn't mean it like that. I was just surprised, is all. He's not exactly…Well, forward with praise. Or kindness. Or anything you could call affection, really," he grumbled, glancing across the camp to the King, who was seated next to his nephews and chatting quietly with Balin. "I just found it odd that he'd attract you to him. He just seems rather cold, compaired to you."

Bofur mulled over the hobbit's words for a moment, before shrugging and offering up a lopsided smile. "I suppose he does seem an awful lot like tha' now. But, I promise ye, he wasn't always this distant. When we were still in the Ered Luin, he was kind and caring. Always willin' to lend a helpin' hand were he could. Didn't matter if ye were high class or no. He was the sweetest when he was with the boys. He helped raise them, ye know. After their Pa died. And then, when he found out that we might have a chance to reclaim our home? Well. He's strong and independent, strong willed and a fearless leader. He's only like this now because he's worried. About our safety, and our potential for success."

Bofur frowned lightly at the broad smile that he found on Bilbo's face when he looked back at the hobbit. "What?"

"You really do love him, don't you?"

The dwarf snorted, grinning at Bilbo. "What ever could have given ye that idea?" The two laughed, Bilbo half leaning on the dwarf and Bofur absently rolling the hair bead between his fingers.

"All right. So, then, what might the bead be for?" Bilbo asked, gesturing to the silver accessory in the other's hand.

"Tis a courting bead. I made it, even before we left Ered Luin. Meant to give it to him then, too. But then we got all caught up in tryin' to get folks to come along, and gettin' ready to leave ourselves, it sorta got lost in the shuffle. And now…Now I'm watching our blacksmith become a King," Bilbo's expression turned sad at the regret on Bofur's face as the dwarf put the bead back into his pocket, "And I'm still not but a miner. Not even a good one at that. What chance have I got with a King?"

Bilbo sighed and let his head rest against Bofur's shoulder, staring off into the fire.


	36. Durin Family, Misunderstanding

Kili chirruped happily as he was bounced up and down on his uncles' knee, Fili snickering from the floor where he was laid out with his toys every time his brother let out an especially odd sounding burble.

"All right boys, I think it's time to wash up and get ready for bed," Dis said from the doorway to the front room where the boys had been spending time with Thorin.

"Awww, can't we stay up just a bit longer, Mum? Uncle Thorin only got here just before supper," Fili whined, fussing a bit as his mother scooped him up into her arms.

"Hush, now. It's not my fault your Uncle managed to get lost on his way home," Dis teased, smirking at her brother over her son's shoulder, "And in any case, he'll still be here come morning. Fret not."

Fili groaned and let his head fall against his mother's shoulder as she reached for Kili, only to freeze at the child's words.

"Wanna stay with Adad!"

Thorin blinked, staring down at the mass of curly brown hair upon his knee, too startled to stop him from turning and bundling up against his chest, and clinging tight to the fabric of his tunic. He looked to find a heart broken expression on his sister's face, which made it impossible to swallow the lump that was suddenly in his throat.

"He's not your Adad!" Fili suddenly snapped from Dis's arm, glaring at his little brother, arms folded childishly over his chest, "That's Uncle Thorin! Don't be stupid, Kili!"

Dis looked mildly astonished at her elder son, before scolding him for speaking rudely to his brother.

"Not Adad?" Kili echoed quietly, staring up at Thorin with watery, wide brown eyes.

"No, Kili. Your Adad, he's…He's away," Thorin murmured, patting the child on the head.

Kili simply sniffed, before sliding off his Uncle's lap and meandering after his mother while sadly chewing on the sleeve of his shirt, Dis shooting Thorin an apologetic look as she hustled the boys off to get cleaned up.


	37. Fili and Kili, Sleep

"Kili! Do you see that? It's-" Fili began, turning to look back at his brother with a wide grin on his face, faltering for a moment when he didn't immediately see his pony. He turned his pony around, trotting back on the path a bit, confusion on his face when he finally spotted Kili's pony paused at the side of the trail, nibbling on some grass.

"Kili?" Fili nudged his pony into a trot to get to where his brothers pony was grazing, the confusion on his face quickly melting into a soft smile. Fili and Kili had been the last to leave camp, and were stuck taking up the rear of the line of dwarves on the journey that day. The younger of the brothers had had a poor nights sleep, tossing and turning until finally falling asleep well into the early hours of the day, therefore Fili wasn't entirely surprised by the state he found his brother in.

Kili was slumped over on his pony, cheek cushioned on the fluffy mane of his pony, and fingers limp around the reins of its bit. Light snores emanated from his mouth as his pony happily munched away on the tall grass at the edge of the path.

The elder brother chuckled at his brother, shaking his head a bit as he directed his own pony to step up next to Kili's, and gently took hold of the reins to get the beast to trot along side him as they moved to catch up to the rest of the company.


	38. Durin Family, Birthday Cake

Dis gasped when she walked into her kitchen to find flour coating the walls, and several eggs smashed across her floor. "What in Durin's name happened in here?!" she barked, startling a bit when Kili popped up from behind the kitchen table, a cake cradled carefully in his hands.

"S'hot! Hot!" the young dwarf cursed, quickly dropping the cake on a mat set out on the counter near the stove. He waved his gloved hands through the air for a moment, finally turning to find his mother hovering in the doorway. "Oh! Hi, mum!"

"Don't you 'Oh, hi mum' me, mister!" Dis snapped, storming across the kitchen, hands on her hips as she paused before her youngest son. "What are you doing?"

Kili had the sense to look embarrassed, shuffling his feet a little while accidentally smearing cake batter across his cheek. "It's Fili's 70th birthday, and I know you usually make the cake, but you've been so busy lately, I wanted to make the cake myself," he admitted, a bashful grin on his face.

Dis sighed after a moment, shaking her head a little at her son, before ruffling his hair a bit. "Fine. But, you make sure you clean up this mess when you're done! Otherwise your trying to save me from work was for not!" She chuckled at Kili's bright grin, before moving off to work on some mending.

~

"Happy Birthday, Fili!"

Dis leaned against the door frame to the front room, smiling softly as she watched her boys interact; Kili grinning proudly as he offered his brother his admittedly slightly lopsided cake, while Fili chuckled at the flour covered state of his younger sibling.


	39. Mini Fill-Fem Fili

"I am not being left behind!"

"Fili, please. be reasonable."

Fili turned on her brother, cheeks flushing pink in anger. "Be REASONABLE?! Reasonable is being left behind with mother, to worry over yours and uncles safety? Reasonable is being expected to sit and dither around with all the other woman and children, and the cowards who would not lift a finger to help reclaim our homeland, but be more than ready to reap the benefits? If that is what I am meant to do, if I am to act reasonably, I do not wish to be the least bit reasonable."

Kili took a short step back at his sisters outburst, eyes wide as he took in her stubborn stance. He deflated a bit after a moment, rubbing at his arm bashfully. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, is all," he muttered, casting his gaze to the floor.

Fili let her shoulders slump, watching her brother shrink into himself, before stepping forward to pull him into a tight embrace. "Oh, Kili," she murmured, petting his mess of hair, a slow smirk curling her lips, "I am a far better fighter than you are, so I doubt I'll be the one getting hurt on the journey."

"FILI!" Kili shoved his sister away, much to the amusement of the elder sibling. She giggled raucously, dancing away from Kili's batting hands.

"What? It's true," she cooed, easily side-stepping a swing from her brother, "as ! Are you going to help me pack, or stand there like a git?"

Kili snorted, moving over to the chest of drawers to throw a couple tunics and a sewing kit at his sister. "You know, Thorin is not going to be pleased by this…"

Fili shrugged, folding her tunics and settling them neatly in her pack. "So?"

"Mother is going to go berserk."

"Mother's choice to remain is diplomatic, and I respect that. But, you know as well as I do that she would follow after us in a heartbeat if she could, so I very much doubt that."

"She'll miss you."

Fili sighed, turning to glare at her younger brother, folding her arms over her chest. "Are you still trying to dissuade me from going? Because, honestly, you are doing a piss poor job of it."

Kili dithered for a moment, before shrugging.

"You are utterly hopeless," Fili chuckled, flicking her brother in the forehead, before securing her throwing knives to her pack.


	40. Meme Fill-FemBilbo's Honour

Bilba hummed to herself as she picked through the herb stall in front of her. One of the nice things about staying in Laketown for a few days was the fact that she could help restock the company's cooking supplies, which were sadly lacking since she was fairly certain that the dwarves wouldn't be able to tell one green leafed plant from the next, even if it smacked them in the face. The very thought made her giggle under her breath as she picked out a rather nice sprig of dried parsley. She gave pause, however, when she heard a couple of loudly slurring voices speaking from around the corner of the building she stood before. Normally, she would have given it no heed, but she heard mention of her dwarves, and she really couldn't be blamed for her curiosity.

She paid the vendor for her chosen herbs, creeping quietly towards the corner of the building to listen in to the drunken conversation of two scraggly looking men. She tilted her head slightly, peeking a little around the edge of the building a little to watch the men gesture widely in their drunken state.

"And have you seen that tiny little halfling lass they 'ave with 'em?" one of the men remarked, earning Bilba's instant and full attention, while the man's companion laughed.

"Course I have! Poor little strumpet!" The two men laughed, while Bilba's cheeks burned in embarrassment. "Bet they dragged 'er along for the fun of it. Thirteen male dwarves on a journey that long? There's no other reason for it."

The men cackled, the first nodding. "Either that, or she found no satisfaction amongst her own kind! Needed a little something more," the first man nudged the other in the ribs, the second snickering. "Oy, I bet I could give 'er something she'd really like!"

The man then proceeded to make a lewd gesture with his hips, making Bilba cover her mouth with a hand as she let out a startled gasp, her cheeks burning, and eyes welled with unshed tears. Unfortunately, the quiet sound earned the attention of the two drunkards, who both turned to stare at Bilba in mild astonishment for a moment, before they had matching leers on their faces.

Bilba backed up quickly as one of the men began to approach, asking if she liked what she had heard, wanting to know if she wanted more than 'half a man' in bed with her. She nearly stumbled as she turned, running smack into a startled Ori.

"Bilba! There you are. We've been searching all over the town for you. We were worried," Ori said, smiling at her kindly, before her terrified countenance registered. "What's the matter?"

He glanced up to see the two drunk men elbowing each other, one of them gesturing rather rudely towards the two of them, Ori's cheeks heating up at one particularly lewd comment.

"Let's go, please," Bilba all but pleaded, tugging on Ori's scarf. The young dwarf nodded, turning to leave, just as one of the men let out a particularly nasty laugh.

"And there she goes. This one must be particularly hung to whisk her away from us like that!"

Bilba didn't even realize Ori had moved, before she heard a pained grunt and the sound of someone hitting the ground. She turned to see one of the men laid out flat on the ground, the other running away as fast as his wobbly, drunken legs could carry him, and Ori staring forlornly at his mitten.

"I've gone and gotten blood on my glove," he muttered, holding the knitting up for Bilba to see, a rather pathetic expression on the young dwarf's face. Bilba couldn't help the startled laugh that bubbled up from her belly at the sight.

"Come on, then," she murmured, looping her arm around Ori's as they began to walk away from the downed man, "I'll wash it up for you when we get back."


	41. Mini Fill-Shoes

"Are you implying that I'm a-a-a tenderfoot?!" Bilbo looked absolutely appalled at the boots Bofur was holding.

"Uh…Nay, can't say that I was. What is that?" the dwarf asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy, boots hanging limply in his hand.

"A tenderfoot! Someone who hasn't been around the block enough times to have any callous! Someone who-who-! Someone useless!" the hobbit elaborated, hands flying through the air as he gesticulated dramatically.

Bofur simply blinked at the hobbit, still looking a tad confused, glancing between the boots in his hand and the halfling. "I see. Well, can't say I've ever heard tell o' that particular, er, insult," he explained, scratching behind one of his braids, "And I truly didn't mean anything by offerin' ya shoes, master hobbit. I just meant to have ya keep yer feet warm as the weather changes."

Bilbo blinked at the dwarf, his cheeks flaring red as his mind finally caught up to the fact that all dwarves wore shoes, and it would only make sense that they had no idea about Hobbit feet and the connotations behind wearing shoes for them.

"I see," was all Bilbo managed to say, swallowing thickly through his embarrassment at the misunderstanding. "Well, I, uhm…I thank you for the offer, Bofur, but they really won't be necessary."

Bofur arched an eyebrow at the hobbit, before nodding a little with a half shrug. "If ya say so."


	42. FemOrixKili

Ori had never been the best of fighters, as easily illustrated for her only real aptitude being in her sling-shot. And although many said the pen was mightier than the sword, that was really as far from the truth as you could get in the middle of a battlefield. Especially in the middle of a battle as large and chaotic as the one that raged outside the gates of Erebor only just after they had managed to reclaim the mountain from the fire drake, Smaug.

"Ori, stay behind me!"

Ori swallowed thickly at Kili's barking order, shaking her head swiftly as she swung her borrowed war hammer out, knocking an orc to the ground, and more than likely crushing it's ribs in the process.

"If you really think I'm going to just stand idly while you protect me, you have another thing coming!" she snapped back, shooting Kili a playful glare even as the young prince smirked at her over his shoulder.

They battled together like hellions, back to back, Ori with her war hammer, and Kili with his bow and sword. Their success was short lived, of course, as most great battles have a tendency to take a mighty turn for the worse. Kili took a poor hit that rebounded off his sword and made him stumble to the side, just enough to open himself up from his defensive position. Ori looked up just in time to see an arrow flying through the air as the young prince shifted to regain his balance.

"Look out!" she shouted, shoving the already off kilter prince out of the way as the arrow sliced through the air, right where the prince had once been standing, and right through Ori's shoulder.

"ORI," Kili screamed, watching her fall to the ground, arrow protruding grotesquely straight through her now bloody shoulder. She sputtered for a moment, gasping and pressing her hand to the oozing wound, glancing up at Kili to make sure he was unharmed, offering him a tiny weak smile, before collapsing to the ground.

~

Kili ran through the tents once the healers finally let him go, cursing the wound on his leg as he was forced to slow his journey. He paused only once to catch his breath, and give his already badly abused lungs and ribs a bit of a rest, before he finally spotted the tent he'd seen Dori and Nori taking their little sister to.

"Ori," Kili gasped, surging forward, only to be held back by Dori, tears welling in the young prince's eyes at seeing the little scribe wrapped in so many bandages and looking so tiny and frail amongst the sheets and pillows on her cot. "Please," he whispered, sagging in Dori's hold, looking to Nori imploringly, who held his sisters hand loosely in his own, petting the rough knitted glove still on her hand.

"K-kili?" came a soft, raspy voice from the bed, which quickly drew the attention of all others in the tent. "Kili," Ori breathed, a weak smile appearing on her bruised face.

Words escaped Kili as he was finally released from Dori's hold, and quickly fell to his knees at Ori's bedside, letting tears of relief roll down his cheeks as he gathered the scribe's free hand into his own.

"Don't scare me like that again," he finally whispered, after placing a grateful kiss to the back of her knit-covered hand, giving it the tiniest of squeezes.

"I make no guarantees," Ori murmured with a weak laugh, which only resulted in her coughing and Dori admonishing her, while Nori forced her to take a drink of water. Finally, once her brothers had resettled, she sighed and looked back to Kili. "After all, I am in love with the most foolish of dwarves."

Kili huffed out a shaky breath, his smile watery. "I love you, too."


	43. FemOriKili, for lissinator (tumblr)

Ori nearly squealed as she was yanked backwards by her scarf, stumbling over her boots as she tried to regain her footing while simultaneously shifting to face whoever had nearly pulled her off her feet. She swallowed down the scathing remark she'd had ready on the tip of her tongue when she found Dori staring her down and Nori sighing heavily next to their brother.

"What can I do for you, Dori?" Ori asked innocently, lacing her fingers together behind her back while giving Dori the most innocent of smiles she could muster up, given the circumstances.

"Don't you 'What can I do for you, Dori', me! You know exactly what you can do for me," Dori harrumphed, folding his arms angrily over his chest.

"Aw, c'mon Dori, leave her be," Nori grumbled, rolling his eyes at Dori's tendency towards over dramatics.

"Stay out of this, Nori! It's for her own good!" Dori snapped at the middle Ri sibling, before turning his glare at his sister. "Now, you, miss!"

Ori shrunk into her scarf, pulling her shoulders up around her ears. "I'm quite sure I don't know what you're on about," she muttered into the wool, flicking her gaze to the ground while shrinking away from Dori's looming figure.

"I'm quite sure you know perfectly well what I'm on about!" Dori hissed, tugging on one of Ori's braid's enough to make her squeak and extract herself from her scarf. "Don't think I didn't see you give that boy a scarf! Is he even aware of your intentions?"

Ori blushed darkly, twisting her fingers into her tunic in annoyed embarrassment. "It was just a scarf," she snapped, looking away from her disapproving brother once more, "It's getting colder out, so I thought he might need one."

"Oh, yes, because you haven't spent the last three weeks knitting it with one of the most complicated patterns you've tried, yet. Not to mention making it in his colour. Ori," Dori finally deflated a little, "I know you mean well, but that boy is so daft…And! He's a prince, no less! Honestly."

Ori let out a frustrated noise, burying her nose back into her scarf, even as Nori wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Enough of that," the middle Ri sibling hissed at Dori, "You think she hasn't realized those things on her own? If she wants to pursue, and take the risk, why not let her? If she falls on her face, she knows we're here to help her back onto her feet."

"Thanks," Ori whispered to her brother, offering his a tiny smile, which he returned in full, much to Dori's great annoyance. He threw his arms into the air with a great noise of disdain, before glaring at his siblings.

"Don't you say I didn't warn you," he snapped, before moving to pull Ori out of Nori's grasp and hugging her tightly. "I will not hesitate to wring his neck if he hurts you, though."

Ori couldn't help but giggle into her eldest brother's shoulder at his protectiveness, giving him a quick hug back, before pulling away. "Thank you, really. I know you just worry for me. But, I'll be fine. Whether he notices or not, I'm just happy to see him happy."

Dori stared at his sister for a long minute, a watery, sappy sort of look on his face, before he wiped it from his face and let out an airy huff. "You just remember that he's an idiot, so don't hold your breath."

Ori laughed as Nori over exaggerated rolling his eyes, patting her kindly on the back, before the brothers wandered away from her. She let out a contented sigh, watching her brothers walk away, before turning to head to the library to sort through a pile of books she had been saving to read, only to find herself running smack into another dwarf.

"Oh my goodness!" she gasped, stumbling a step as an arm shot out to steady her. "I am so sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Honestly, the fault was entirely mine. And, I'll admit, I made you run into me on purpose."

Ori blinked at the owner of the voice, her eyes widening when she realized just who she had run into. "Kili! How-how long have you been standing there?!"

Kili chuckled, absently scratching at his stubble as he shrugged. "Uhm, perhaps longer than you would have liked me to be," he admitted, smirking at the fierce red blush that settled itself on Ori's cheeks the admission caused.

"I-I-I completely understand if you want me to stop," she rushed, ducking her head, hiding in her scarf and taking a quick step back. "I mean, you're a prince, and I'm not exactly the prime example of a dwarrowdam…"

Kili took two quick steps forward, taking hold of Ori's shirt sleeves to keep her from running away, a light smile on his lips. "You really are far too harsh on yourself," he hummed, "I'll be honest, however, your brothers were right. I hadn't noticed you had given me the scarf as a courting gift."

Ori shifted to try and get away again, but Kili just held fast and tightened his grip. "Hey, wait a minute. When I got home and Fili saw it, he nearly took my ear off, calling me a moron for not seeing what was right in front of my face. I think your brothers had full rights to call me a moron."

Ori stopped her struggles, blinking up at Kili curiously. "What are you getting at?"

Kili sighed, letting his fingers slip from Ori's tunic, shrugging a little as his own cheeks turned scarlet. "I mean to say, well, that I am not opposed in the least for us to, y'know, start courting…"

Ori stared at the young prince for a good long minute, mouth slightly agape, before speaking. "You're not pulling a prank, are you?"

Kili gaped at her, before scowling, his blush migrating to even his ears. "Of course not! I wouldn't joke about such a thing!"

"Good," Ori hummed with a gleeful grin as she threw her arms around Kili's shoulders, and proceeded to kiss some sense into the boy. Or rather, out of him, as he happily wrapped his arms around her waist, and proceeded to twirl them both around in a circle.


	44. OriKili, secret relationship

"Kili, what if we're caught?"

"Hush! We won't be if you keep quiet!"

Ori swallowed thickly as he held tight to the young prince's hand, glancing behind them into the dark several times over as Kili tugged him forward through the woods. he cringed when he accidentally stepped on a branch and it snapped with a loud crack. He slapped his free hand over his mouth as Kili froze, looking around quickly to make sure there was no movement in the forest surrounding them.

"This is too risky, we should just forget this whole thing," Ori whispered, tugging at the prince's sleeve with his free hand while shaking his head slightly.

Kili finally landed his gaze on Ori, a light frown on his face, barely visible through the moon beams that managed to pierce the forest canopy. "You would have us give up, just because-because people would not accept us?"

Ori looked to the ground, shuffling his feet a little. "It wouldn't be just that, and you know it. You're a prince, Kili. If we were ever to be caught, you'd-"

"I don't care."

The red head startled, looking back up at Kili with wide eyes.

"They can disown me, disinherit me, and cast me out. I love you," with this, Kili lifted the scribe's hand to his lips, kissing his barely exposed knuckles, "I love you, and I would give up all the gold in Erebor to stay by your side."

"Don't say that," Ori murmured, tears welling in his eyes, untangling his fingers from Kili's sleeve to cup his cheek instead. "Please, don't say things like that."

"But, it's the truth. Ori, you are my one. And if my uncle, or the others, if they cannot see that, and be happy for me, and let us be together, what is the point of being a prince? Of having riches and power, if I cannot be happy with the one I love?"

Ori shivered, sniffing back tears, before throwing his arms around Kili's shoulders and hugging him tight. "I don't want you to have to give so much up for me, though," he whispered in the prince's hair, "I want you to have everything you could ever wish for, and then some. I just…I don't want to see you get hurt."

Kili sighed, wrapping his arms around the scribe's middle to return the hug, burying his nose in Ori's scarf. "You are everything I could ever wish for, and then some."


	45. FemOriKili, labor

Kili paced back and forth in front of the his chambers doors, yanking at his hair every time a pained cry came from the other side.

"Kili, calm down. If you keep at it the way you're going, you won't have any hair left by the time the babe arrives," Fili murmured, grabbing his brother by the shoulders, and offering him a reassuring smile.

"But she's been in there for hours, Fili! Hours! And I have no idea how she's doing because Oin kicked me out because I was stressing Ori out! The only thing that's letting me know that things are still progressing are the pained cries of my wife while she's bringing our babe into the world without me!" The prince sucked in a heaving breath, clutching to his brother's tunic as if his life depended on it. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, his hair disheveled, and his entire body trembled, giving him the appearance of a mad man.

Fili pulled his brother into a tight embrace, rubbing circles on the brunette's back in hopes of comforting him, at least a little. "Hush, now. I'm sure everything is going fine. Oin would have let you back in, if something had gone wrong, you know that. And mother already explained to you, both of you, that her labor would probably be a long, and painful time. But she came out of it just fine. Twice, even. Trust Oin, and especially Ori. Have faith."

Kili wheezed into his brother's shoulder, clutching at him tightly and squeezing his eyes shut as another wail echoed from inside the room. He paused when it was followed shortly by the sound of a baby crying. The young prince pulled away from his brother, moving to stand closer to the door, his fingers outstretched to touch it, but frozen, as if he were afraid that he was simply hearing things.

"I think, perhaps, it is time for you to go greet the newest member of our family," FIli hummed with a soft smile, gently propelling Kili forward as he opened the chamber door.

"Ah. There ye are, laddie. Come say hello to your daughter," Oin said with a grin.

Kili stood dumbstruck in the doorway for a good long minute while Oin finished cleaning up his daughter, stumbling forward after a nudge from Fili to take the freshly cleaned and swaddled baby into his arms. He swallowed back tears, grinning down at the wrinkly red face of his daughter. He bounced her gently in his arms as she began to fuss, finally looking up when a light groan came from the bed.

"Don't I get to see her? I did sort of just spend a rather exorbitant amount of time pushing her out of my body," Ori's scratchy voice grumbled, making Kili grin even harder, if that was possible. He slowly crossed the room, carefully handing Ori their babe, before scrambling around the other side of the bed to climb on and cuddle up next to his wife.

"C'mon. Let's leave 'em be for now," Oin grumbled to Fili, who simply nodded and followed the old healer out, taking it upon himself to go tell the others that the babe had finally made herself known to the world.

"She's beautiful," Kili cooed, allowing his daughter to wrap her tiny pudgy fingers around one of his own.

Ori simply chuckled weakly, blowing a strand of hair out of her face as she shifted their daughter so she could feed. "I should hope so. Hopefully she'll take more after me, than you," she teased, smirking cheekily at the prince.

Kili gasped, before laughing and pressing a quick kiss to Ori's head. "I hope so, too. Well, that's a lie, because if she takes after you, then I'm going to have to be beating suitors off with a stick once she becomes of age."

"Probably even before that," Ori hummed, "Dori had suitors knocking on our door back in Ered Luin when I was probably only around fifty. Poor bastards got throttled but good by Nori, of course, once Dori was finished thrashing them verbally. But, still. Keep a stick handy."

"It's definitely a good thing she has the family she does. If your brothers don't scare suitors away, I can just threaten to have them locked up or executed for hurting my little girl," Kili hummed, causing Ori to snort loudly in amusement.

"Just remember, love, she is allowed to fall in love. Don't become my brother, all right?"

Kili scrunched his nose up at being compared to Dori, of all dwarves, before sighing and resting his head on Ori's shoulder as their daughter finished eating her fill, and began to babble as she drifted off to sleep.

"What shall we name her?" Ori finally whispered, stroking her fingers carefully over the babe's head, sighing happily at the faint wisps of soft brown hair.

"I was thinking, perhaps, either Alfífa or Fríða for her second name. I thought you'd perhaps like to give her her first name yourself and tell me after you give it to her," Kili offered, nuzzling into Ori's shoulder.

The red head hummed for a moment, before nodding a little. "I think I like Fríða. I'll let you know her first name later."

Kili nodded, snuggling back in to his wife's shoulder, the new family drifting off into peaceful slumber.


	46. Bifur & Bofur, braids

Bofur let out a frustrated grunt as he struggled with his hair, finally giving up and letting it curl around his face in large, poofy, unkempt waves. He glared at his reflection in the pond, barring his teeth at it, before realizing how ridiculous he looked and sticking his tongue out at himself with a laugh.

"There ye are, lad. Yer mother's been wondering after ya.

Bofur looked up to find his cousin sauntering through the woods towards him, the little dwarfling eyeing Bifur's well kept plaits with envy. "I can't go home," he muttered, glancing back at his reflection, scowling at the wild mess his hair had become.

"Why's that?" Bifur asked, flopping down into the grass next to his young cousin.

Bofur turned to stare at Bifur, arching his eyebrows and gesturing towards his hair. "Why do ya think?"

Bifur blinked at the dwarflings petulance, before letting out a guffaw and reaching for the little one's hair.

"No!" Bofur snapped, ducking away from his cousin's fingers and rolling through the grass, before springing to his feet. "I need t'learn how to do it myself! Ma can't keep helpin' me with my braids! I'm almost twenty!"

Bifur rolled his eyes at the dwarfling's outburst, reclining back on his hands, "Well then, what are ye going to do? If ye can't braid yer hair yerself, and ye can't go home to get yer mother to do it."

Bofur sighed dramatically, dropping into the grass like a stone, sending flower petals and insects scattering. "Live in the wilderness like a savage," he declared, staring up at the clouds overhead.

"All 'cause ye can't do yer own braids! For pity's sake," Bifur grumbled, rubbing at his face, before scooting over to where Bofur had all but thrown himself onto the ground. "Why don't I just show ye? And perhaps ye can do an easier pattern than yer Ma's been doing for ye. Sound good?"

Bofur seemed to think the proposal over for a long minute, before nodding and sitting up, watching in awe as his cousin undid one of the braids in his beard.

"It's real easy, once you get the hang of it," Bifur said, demonstrating to the dwarfling the way to hold one's fingers while twisting the strands back and forth over each other. "Now. Why don't we start with just one plait, at the side of yer head?"

Bofur nodded, shifting to the edge of the pond so he could watch himself in the water's reflection. Bifur scooted up close to the dwarfling, helping to separate Bofur's hair into neat thirds. "So, like this?" Bofur muttered distractedly, fixing himself a tight, if a bit messy, braid at the side of his head. He grinned at himself in the water, turning his gaze to his cousin, who nodded back in approval.

"Aye. Look about right. Try another on the other side."

Bofur nodded, doing just that, letting out a whoop of triumph once it was complete. He pause for a moment, looking at himself curiously in the water, before turning to look over his cousin's braids.

"Why're mine curly?" he asked, indicating the slight upward curve of his braids.

Bifur chuckled, patting Bofur on the head as he moved behind the dwarfling to fashion a third braid down his back, since he knew Bofur would get frustrated with not being able to see. "Probably because ye made them tighter towards the ends. Or, yer hair's natural curl. I think it rather suits ye."

Bofur hummed thoughtfully as he allowed his cousin to finish his hair, shoving himself to his feet once the task was complete.

"Can we go home now?" Bifur asked, watching his little cousin preen at his newly fashioned braids for a minute, smirk on his face.

"Aye. I think we can," Bofur said with a nod, eliciting a laugh from Bifur.

The elder shoved himself to his feet, scooping a squirming dwarfling into his arms, chuckling to himself as they headed home.


	47. KiliOri, Beautiful all along

Kili smirked at himself in his mirror, running his fingers quickly over the new plaits he set in his hair. Surviving the Battle of Five Armies had earned him the right to place warriors braids in his hair, along with a braid symbolizing his position of Crowned Prince, with the reclaiming of Erebor. All in all, the braids in his hair suited him well, he thought, and helped to keep his hair out of his face, and out of the way of his bow.

He flicked the braids over his shoulder and headed out of his rooms for breakfast with his family, grinning a bit to himself as he sauntered down the hallway, nodding to each dwarrow and dwarrowdam who bid him good morning as he made his way to his Uncle's common room to eat.

The greetings and attention he'd garnered since the reclamation of Erebor had been astounding, at first. He had never expected to have so many people finally take notice of him, let alone finally drop the insulting tones they'd often used before when referring to him. He was especially thankful that he hadn't been related to an elf since they'd taken back the mountain.

He hummed cheerfully to himself as he turned a corner, pausing to duck behind a statue when he heard his name mentioned by a couple of passing servants. He grinned a little to himself as he crouched down, tipping his head a little to hear what gossip was circulating about him.

"-he does look rather handsome with those new braids, though, doesn't he?" he heard one low voice say, a grin slowly inching across his lips at the praise.

"Oh, psh," another voice hummed, "You're just braid obsessed."

"I am not!"

"If we were back in the Blue Mountains, you wouldn't look at him twice. Certainly, his new braids suit him well, and it's nice to see the boy finally take some proper care with his appearance, but he's still the same lanky fool he was before. Don't be fooled by his looks."

Kili wilted a little at the harsh comments, sinking down to sit properly behind the statue as the voices faded away down the hallway. He huffed quietly, settling his chin on his knees as he stared sadly at the wall, wondering why he'd ever thought people's opinions of him had actually changed, simply because his appearance had.

"Kili?"

The brunette jerked out of his revere at the quiet voice that suddenly sounded from next to the statue. He blinked a couple of times and turned to find Ori staring down at him in mild concern.

"King Thorin has been wondering after you, my prince. He has several guards out looking for you, since you didn't show up for breakfast. Are you all right?" the young scribe asked, shifting the journal in his arms to crouch down next to Kili's hiding place.

"How long have I been sitting here?" the prince asked, slightly startled by Thorin's apparent worry over his lateness.

"I can't be sure, obviously," Ori said with a lopsided smile, gesturing for Kili to shuffle over as he maneuvered himself into the small space between the wall and the statue where Kili was hiding, "But you've been sitting here long enough for the rest of your family to have eaten and begin to worry for you."

"Oh," Kili stated dumbly, turning his gaze back to the wall, staring at it in surprise, "I must have lost track of time."

"Apparently," Ori quipped, settling himself next to the brunette. "Might I ask what caused you to lose track of time in such a way?"

Kili huffed out a quiet breath, a small, depreciating laugh leaving his lips. "I just had a revelation, I suppose," he muttered, raking his fingers through his hair, and frowning a little when his fingers caught on one of his braids, "I realized that I may look the part, but people will never stop thinking me the same 'elvish' child I was back in the Blue Mountains. It probably sounds ridiculous, I know, but I had thought that, perhaps…Perhaps people were starting to see me differently. Noticing that I have changed, and have grown. But, apparently they have not. Perhaps even, that I have not."

Ori watched the prince wallow in self-doubt for a moment, before placing a palm against Kili's shoulder, and offering him a small smile when the prince looked up at the contact.

"Of course you have changed, my prince," the scribe hummed, chuckling quietly at Kili's disbelieving scoff. "The boy I knew in Ered Luin never would have given people's remarks a second thought. He would complain to his brother, certainly, but he would never have taken it as a slight against his person. You have become far more self-aware, my prince. Which, might I say, is something your new position certainly needs. You are a public figure, now, and have come to care what people think of you. They'll soon come to realize what the rest of the company has. That you've grown and matured, and those braids in your hair are not simply something superficial that you put in because you managed to slay a couple of orcs on our way to the mountain. You earned them with sweat, and blood, and the loss of innocence. They are fools if they don't come to realize that."

Kili stared in open disbelief at Ori, the scribe slowly colouring under the intense scrutiny. "Have I spoken out of turn?" the scribe asked, already half hiding behind his scarf.

The prince snorted and shook his head a little, his grin slowly returning to his face. "No. No, you have most certainly not spoken out of turn. I would even hazard to say that you have spoken so perfectly in turn, that I am left utterly speechless."

Ori smiled in mild embarrassment at the compliment, ducking his head a little. "I'm glad I could be of some help."

"Tremendous help."

The scribe laughed, before gasping quietly. "Your uncle! Your family will still be wondering where you've gone!"

Ori wriggled out of the tiny spot they'd been hiding, Kili following shortly after him. The scribe chuckled sheepishly as he dusted his tunic off, while Kili simply laughed and waved at a guard who noticed them and began to head towards them.

"I should be of, then," the scribe began to move away, only to be stopped by Kili's hand around his wrist.

"Thank you," Kili murmured, tugging Ori towards him to press a light kiss to the scribe's lips, before releasing him.

"Aye, of course," the scribe muttered as Kili chuckled and ran off towards the guard.


	48. OriKili, Misinterpretation

Inspired by Askoriandkili on tumblr

-

Kili smiled down at the soft feather quill and leather bound journal in his hands. True thought it was that they were not traditional dwarven gifts to give to ones intended courtship, but he knew Ori would enjoy them far more than any bejeweled broach, or thick silver chain he could ever forge. And today would be the day he declared his intentions. They'd been dancing around one another for months upon months, and Kili finally decided that if Ori would not be brave enough to declare his intentions, than Kili would be more than happy to oblige.

The smile on his face quickly slipped away upon turning a corner, towards the large oak tree that he knew Ori favored sitting beneath to write. Ori was there, of course, but so was Fili. The blonde was leaning against the tree, half boxing Ori in, and leaning down towards the slight red-head with a smile on his face, and in turn the flush on the scribe's face was radiant. Kili had only seen his brother smile like that when he'd finally gotten something that he'd been chasing after for quite a time.

Kili wilted, glancing back down at the items clutched in his hands, running his fingers carefully over the curl of the feather quill. He sighed, placing the items carefully at the corner of the building he'd rounded, while rubbing idly at his eyes. He refused to be upset. After all, if his brother and Ori were happy, shouldn't he be as well? They both deserved as much.

He dared not glance back as he quickly made his way back home, not wanting to catch the two in any more of an intimate moment than he already had.

-

"Well, then? Come on, now. Don't be shy."

Ori glared up at the blonde leaning over him, face half buried in his thick woolen scarf.

"If you don't tell him yourself, I will. Gladly."

"That's not fair, Fili," Ori grumbled into his scarf, hating how his cheeks burned with how scarlet they must have become upon the intrusion of the blonde prince to his quiet space.

"Is it not also unfair to prance around each other like love-sick fools, twittering and cooing about one another to everyone else, but each other? Honestly, Ori, everyone in the damn village knows you two fancy each other. You two need to sort yourselves out already, and just start courting. It's getting a little ridiculous," Fili scoffed, finally pushing off and away from the tree to fold his arms over his chest.

Ori sighed, tugging idly at one of his braids, shooting the blonde a quick glare, before nodding a little and straightening against the trunk of the tree. "If you promise this isn't some sort of cruel joke-" he began, Fili quickly cutting him off with a snarl.

"I wouldn't joke about something like this. It'd be just as embarrassing for him, as you. Kili is my little brother. All I want is to see him happy, and not moping about the house like an idiot."

Ori startled slightly, before offering the blonde a smile for the first time since their encounter began. "If that is truly the case, then I will go speak to him presently."

Fili smiled and nodded, gesturing for the scribe to get on his way.


	49. Ori?, Sadness

Where Ori sat in the library, he had a perfect view out a large window, of the world outside the lonely mountain. Perfectly puffy white clouds rolled through the brilliantly blue sky, and the lush green leaves of the Greenwood gently waved in soft breezes that swept along the valley below the mountain. He could also vaguely hear the far off voices of men and children in the town of Dale, far below, calling out about their wares, or laughing in amusement.

The young scribe could bring himself to do little more than simply sit and watch as the rest of the world moved along around him. Lived, and breathed, and existed, and thrived, while he simply sat. And watched. And Listened. And wept.

Ori shuddered when he felt the soft touch of his eldest brother on his shoulder, turning red rimmed eyes away from the window. He blinked, allowing the fresh tears that had gathered in his eyes to join their brothers on his cheeks.

"Ori," Dori murmured, brushing his fingers gently through the scribe's hair, easily seeing how Ori's eyes never truly focused on him, too busy looking far away at a world that would never come to fruition. "Come down to eat, please? The others have been asking after you."

The red-head simply nodded at Dori's words, allowing the eldest Ri brother to tug him out of his chair, and usher him out of the library. If Dori noticed the broken fletch of an arrow clutched tightly in his youngest brother's hand, he said nothing.


End file.
